In this episode of the Can You Just Sit with Me? podcast, host Natasha Smith welcomes Dawn Sanders, Associate Minister at First Baptist Church of Glenarden and author of When Your World Ends: God’s Creative Process for Rebuilding a Life. Dawn discusses the unique challenges of grief, drawing from her personal experience after her husband’s passing.
She highlights the difficulty of grieving in a culture where others often respond by sharing their own stories, unintentionally shifting the focus. Dawn shares how such interactions can unintentionally burden the grieving person with the role of comforter instead of allowing them space for their emotions.
God was asking me to live through the end of the world as I knew it. And as I was praying and, you know, asking him to take me and coming to this realization that he’s saying, no, I sensed him saying, Dawn, I want you to join me in creating your new life.
Dawn reflects on her late husband’s legacy as a deeply encouraging figure who impacted many lives, revealing the bittersweet realization of his influence only after his death. This candid and heartfelt conversation explores the importance of having one’s grief witnessed and respected, rather than overshadowed by others’ responses.
