Can You Just Sit With Me?
Natasha Smith
Days, months, and years after the loss of her sister, Natasha Smith tried to hide the grief she carried. But the pandemic took away her ability to hide her sorrow and her five-year-old’s response to her unexpected tears gave her permission to grieve – not in a room by herself but with her daughter.
In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Natasha shares how culture insists we “move on” from loss quickly and even how the church is often not equipped to handle sudden outbursts of tears or waves of sorrow. Natasha encourages us to take hope and instruction from Psalm 56:8, where we read that God keeps track of all of our sorrows and collects every one of our tears in a bottle.
If you are hiding your grief – maybe for years, you will resonate with Natasha’s conclusion that giving ourselves permission to grieve means coming to the realization that it’s okay to not be okay.
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Natasha Smith is a wife, mother, and writer from North Carolina. Her work has appeared at Her View from Home, Focus on the Family, and TODAY Parents. You can find her online at: imnatashasmith.com.