GPS Hope: Grieving Parents Sharing Hope

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GPS Hope: Grieving Parents Sharing Hope

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GPS Hope is here to walk with grieving parents through the suffocating darkness of child loss, guiding them to a place of hope, light and purpose.

This is a public page to follow for encouragement purposes. Also look for the GPS Hope private group. Grieving Parents Sharing Hope (GPS Hope) was founded by Dave and Laura Diehl in 2014 after the death of their daughter, Becca, on October 12, ’11. GPS Hope is a 501c3 ministry for grieving parents after the death of their child, no matter the age of the child or how long ago he or she left this earth. In 2018 Dave and Laura sold their house and purchased a motor home they lovingly call the Hope Mobile to travel the nation, meeting one-on-one with grieving parents, speaking at support groups, and hosting local weekend retreats. Find out more about GPS Hope at gpshope.org. Laura is a podcaster, national speaker, singer/songwriter and a prolific author. When Tragedy Strikes is one of her award-winning books. There is a GPS Hope private group, which was originally for those who have read the book, and for the students of the Rebuilding Your Life with Hope and Healing Self-Help Course, based on the same book, which is now open to anyone who wants a safe and private place to share with others who have found themselves thrown into the same darkness after the death of their child. It can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/WhenTragedyStrikesBook

Find out more about Laura’s books at gpshope.org/books. Find out more about the Rebuilding Your Life with Hope and Healing Course, based on the book When Tragedy Strikes at gpshope.org/wtscourse. Find out more about Laura’s CD Together Forever at lauradiehl.hearnow.com.

10/30/2026

When someone loses a child, we often want to do everything we can to help in those first days and weeks. We send messages, bring meals, offer prayers, and let them know we care. But as time passes, life gets busy again. We may not realize how much it can mean to a grieving parent when someone continues to remember and reach out.

A birthday comes around. Another holiday arrives. A memory brings their child to mind. These moments can be especially tender for a parent who misses their child deeply. Knowing that someone else remembers their child, too, can be a meaningful reminder that their child has not been forgotten.

We may not have the words to take away their pain, but we can still offer love and comfort. We can ask how they are doing, listen when they want to talk, say their child's name, and make room for memories. We don't have to wait for a special occasion or find the perfect thing to say. Sometimes, a simple message letting them know we are thinking of them and remembering their child can mean more than we realize.

This is one of the things I hope people understand through Come Grieve Through Our Eyes, 2nd Edition: How to Support a Bereaved Parent After Child Loss. Supporting a grieving parent is not just about knowing what to do immediately after a loss. It is also about learning how to continue walking beside them as the months and years go by.

If you have a grieving parent in your life, I hope you will remember that your love and presence can still make a difference, even long after the loss. And if you have ever wished you knew how to better support someone who has lost a child, this book can help you understand their experience and find meaningful ways to offer support.

You can find the book here: https://www.gpshope.org/comegrieve2/

If you know someone who wants to better understand how to support a grieving parent, please consider sharing this post with them. It may help them find ways to offer comfort and hope when it is needed most.

Offering Hope Through Him,

Laura Diehl, GPS Hope

10/30/2026

Have you ever wondered how God could love you and still allow your child to die? Maybe you prayed for healing, protection, or a different outcome, and now you are left with questions that are difficult to answer. If you have struggled to understand God since your child died, please know you are not alone.

There have been times in my own grief when I wished I could understand why things happened the way they did. I know how difficult it can be to hear words meant to offer comfort when all you really want is to have your child back. We can love God and still struggle with what He has allowed. We can have questions and still come to Him with our broken hearts.

In my new blog, When God’s Love Feels Distant After Child Loss, I share some thoughts about the poem “The Weaving,” Naomi’s story in the Bible, and what it means to keep seeking God when we cannot understand the tangled threads of our lives.

You do not have to pretend you understand, and you do not have to have all the answers before you come to Him. You can tell Him what hurts, how much you miss your child, and how difficult it is to see His love right now. Even when clarity feels out of reach, you can ask Him to meet you in your pain.

I invite you to read the full blog here: https://www.gpshope.org/when-gods-love-feels-distant-after-child-loss/

If these words might encourage another grieving parent, please share this post with them. You can also like and follow the GPS Hope page for gentle encouragement as we walk through grief together.

Offering Hope Through Him,

Laura Diehl, GPS Hope

10/29/2026

Have you ever struggled to understand how a loving God could allow something so heartbreaking to happen to your child? 💙

When you lose a child, the things you once believed about God can suddenly feel difficult to hold on to. You may have prayed for protection, trusted Him with your child’s future, and believed your family would have more time together. Then the unthinkable happened, and you were left trying to make sense of a reality you never imagined. If trusting God feels harder now, please know that you are not alone.

Grieving mom or dad, you do not have to pretend that your faith has not been shaken. You can love Jesus and still have questions. You can believe in His goodness and still struggle to understand why your child died. Grief can bring doubts, anger, and moments when you do not know what to pray. These feelings do not mean you have failed God. They are part of trying to live with a loss that has changed everything.

Sometimes, faith is not about finding an explanation for what happened. Sometimes, it is simply bringing your broken heart to Jesus, even when you have no answers and cannot see how things will ever feel right again. He is not asking you to deny your pain or rush through your questions. You can come to Him exactly as you are, one moment at a time.

If trusting God feels difficult today, give yourself grace. You do not have to figure everything out right now. You can take the next small step while allowing Jesus to meet you in the middle of your heartache. Even when you cannot understand His ways, you can still reach for His presence.

At GPS Hope, we understand that child loss can challenge everything you once thought you knew. Follow GPS Hope for encouragement and hope through Jesus as you navigate this unwanted journey. Please share this post with another grieving parent who may be struggling with questions of faith. You can also find compassionate support and faith filled resources through the link in our bio at https://bio.link/realgpshope.

Offering Hope Through Him,
Laura Diehl, GPS Hope

10/27/2026

You Want to Help a Grieving Parent. But What Should You Say?

Have you ever wanted to comfort someone who has lost a child, but found yourself struggling to know what to say? Maybe you worry that your words could make their pain worse, so you choose to say very little. Or perhaps you've offered words you hoped would bring comfort, only to wonder afterward whether they were helpful.

When a child dies, there are no perfect words that can take away a parent's pain. Sometimes, what a grieving parent needs most is someone who is willing to listen, remember their child, and make room for the feelings that are difficult to put into words. We don't have to fix their grief or fully understand everything they are experiencing to offer genuine comfort.

This is one of the things I wanted to help people understand when I wrote Come Grieve Through Our Eyes, 2nd Edition: How to Support a Bereaved Parent After Child Loss. I want friends, family members, pastors, counselors, and others to have a better understanding of what life can be like after the death of a child and how their words and actions can make a difference. Support isn't only needed in the days immediately following the funeral. Grieving parents may need people who are willing to keep walking beside them months and even years later.

If you've ever wished you knew how to support a grieving parent without worrying so much about saying the wrong thing, I invite you to take a closer look at this book. It was written to help you understand their world and learn how to offer comfort that goes beyond simply knowing what to say.

You can learn more about Come Grieve Through Our Eyes, 2nd Edition here:

https://www.gpshope.org/comegrieve2/

If you know someone who wants to support a grieving parent but isn't sure how, please consider sharing this post with them.

Offering Hope Through Him,

Laura Diehl, GPS Hope

10/27/2026

How do we believe God loves us when He allowed something as devastating as the death of our child? We may still believe in God while struggling with anger, unanswered questions, and wondering why He didn't stop our child from dying. We can love Him and still struggle to understand.

In this week's episode of the Grieving Parents Sharing Hope podcast, I reflect on the poem “The Weaving” and why its message can be difficult after child loss. When we're looking at the tangled threads of our lives, we cannot always see the bigger picture. I'm not asking you to call your child's death God's best for you. I would much rather have my daughter, Becca, here with me, too. Our questions and pain do not put us outside of God's love.

I also share the story of Naomi in the Bible, who lost her husband and both of her sons. She returned home feeling empty and bitter, unable to see what lay ahead. Yet God's care had not disappeared. Even when we don't have the answers we desperately want, we can bring Him our broken hearts and draw closer to Him without pretending we understand.

If you're struggling to see God's love through your grief, I hope you'll listen. You don't have to figure out every tangled thread or force yourself to feel hopeful. You can come to Jesus just as you are and ask Him to help you recognize His presence in the middle of your pain.

Listen to the full episode: https://youtu.be/hrySO2xoGSU

If this episode speaks to your heart, please consider sharing it with another grieving parent who may need this encouragement. You can also like this post and follow GPS Hope for reminders that you don't have to walk this journey alone.

Offering Hope Through Him,
Laura Diehl, GPS Hope

10/27/2026

Are You Longing for Comfort and Hope After the Loss of Your Child?

There are days when grief feels especially heavy. You may miss your child so much that it's hard to imagine how to keep moving forward. Perhaps you're struggling with questions about God, or you simply wish you had someone who truly understood what it feels like to live with this kind of loss.

I know how lonely this journey can be. After my own daughter died, I had to find my way through a darkness I never expected. My faith didn't make the pain disappear, and learning to live with this loss was not something I could figure out all at once. With God's help, I began finding my way forward, one day at a time.

As I walked through my grief, my heart grew for other parents who were facing this same unwanted journey. I wanted them to know that even when the days feel unbearably hard, they don't have to walk through them alone.

This is why I wrote Reflections of Hope: Daily Readings for Bereaved Parents. Each day includes a short reflection and a Bible verse. My hope is that these readings will offer a little encouragement for the day you're in, whether your loss is recent or you've been grieving for many years. You don't have to have all the answers or know what tomorrow will bring. You can simply begin with today.

If you feel that having a daily reflection to turn to might be comforting, the November edition is available here:

https://a.co/d/01Zh0D5Y

You can also find more information about Reflections of Hope, including the full-year hardcover edition and individual monthly readings, here:

https://www.gpshope.org/reflections

Please know that you are not expected to have it all together. Grief takes time, and each of us walks this journey differently. My hope is that you will find reminders of God's presence and the encouragement you need to take one more step, one day and one breath at a time. 💙

Offering Hope Through Him,
Laura Diehl, GPS Hope

10/26/2026

Your child’s birthday can be one of the hardest days to face when your child is no longer here to celebrate it with you. 💙

Maybe you find yourself wondering how you are supposed to get through a day that once brought so much joy. You may want to celebrate your child’s life while also wishing with everything in you that you could hold them, hear their voice, or watch them blow out their birthday candles. You might even feel guilty when you smile at a happy memory or overwhelmed when the tears come unexpectedly. Please know that you do not have to choose between remembering the love and acknowledging the pain.

Grieving parents, your child’s birthday does not have to look a certain way. You can light a candle, share a favorite memory, look through pictures, or spend the day quietly if that is what your heart needs. You can laugh and cry in the same moment. There is no right way to carry the love you still have for your child, and you do not have to prove that you are doing okay for anyone else.

And when the day feels too heavy to carry, remember that Jesus sees every tear and understands the ache you cannot always put into words. He does not ask you to pretend you are not hurting. You can bring Him your sadness, your questions, and even your anger. His presence does not take away the longing for your child, but you can lean on Him when you do not know how you will make it through the day.

If your child’s birthday is approaching, please give yourself permission to grieve in whatever way you need to. You are still their mom or dad. Your love has not ended, and you do not have to walk this unwanted journey alone.

At GPS Hope, we want you to know that there is a community of grieving parents who understand. Follow GPS Hope for continued encouragement, and if this message speaks to your heart, please share it with another grieving parent who may be struggling with an upcoming birthday. You can also find compassionate support and faith filled resources through the link in our bio at https://bio.link/realgpshope.

Offering Hope Through Him,
Laura Diehl, GPS Hope

10/25/2026

When someone we care about loses a child, it can be difficult to know what to say or how to help. We may worry about saying the wrong thing, or we may wish there were something we could do to take away their pain. Sometimes, we become quiet because we simply don't know how to walk beside them.

But we don't have to have all the answers to show someone the love of Jesus. We can listen without trying to fix everything. We can remember their child and make room for the memories they want to share. We can continue reaching out when weeks turn into months and months turn into years. Even when we don't know exactly what to say, our willingness to stay can communicate that they are loved and have not been forgotten.

This is one of the reasons I wrote Come Grieve Through Our Eyes, 2nd Edition: How to Support a Bereaved Parent After Child Loss. I want to help friends, family members, pastors, counselors, and others better understand the experiences of grieving parents and learn how to offer meaningful support beyond the early days of loss.

If you know a parent who has lost a child, perhaps you can ask God to show you one small way to remind them that you are still there. It might be a phone call, a message, remembering an important date, or simply giving them space to talk about their child. We may not be able to take away their heartache, but we can ask God to help us love them with patience, compassion, and faithfulness.

Come Grieve Through Our Eyes, 2nd Edition is now available. If you would like to learn more about this resource and how it can help you support a grieving parent, you can find it here:

https://www.gpshope.org/comegrieve2/

If you know someone who wants to learn how to support a grieving parent, please consider sharing this post with them.

Offering Hope Through Him,
Laura Diehl, GPS Hope

10/24/2026

Do You Know How to Support a Grieving Parent?

Have you ever wanted to help a grieving parent, but felt afraid you might say or do the wrong thing and cause even more pain? Maybe you have offered comfort, prayed for them, or checked in on them, but as time has passed, you have wondered what they still need from you.

When a child dies, the grief reaches into so many parts of a parent's life. Their family, relationships, sense of identity, faith, and view of the future can all be affected. And while the people around them may gradually return to their normal routines, the grieving parent is learning how to live in a life that has changed forever. There may be struggles happening beneath the surface that are difficult to see or explain.

This is one of the reasons I wrote Come Grieve Through Our Eyes, 2nd Edition: How to Support a Bereaved Parent After Child Loss. I want to help people understand what life can be like after the death of a child and how to offer comfort and support that continues long after the funeral is over. Sometimes, the things we say or do because we want to help can unintentionally add to a parent's pain. Learning more about their world can help us become someone they feel safe sharing their grief with.

If you know a grieving parent, this book may be a helpful resource for you. And if you are a grieving parent who wishes the people around you understood more of what you are experiencing, it may be something you can share with a friend, family member, pastor, or counselor who wants to support you but isn't sure how.

Come Grieve Through Our Eyes, 2nd Edition is now available. If you would like to learn more about the book, you can find it here:

https://www.gpshope.org/comegrieve2/

If you know someone who wants to better understand how to support a grieving parent, please consider sharing this post with them.

Offering Hope Through Him,
Laura Diehl, GPS Hope

10/23/2026

Trusting God After Losing All Four Children

How do we trust God when He could have stopped our child from dying, but didn’t? It is a question many of us have wrestled with after losing a child. We may still believe in Him, yet struggle to understand His love when our hearts are broken in ways we never imagined.

I recently talked with Markie Ribera, who lost all four of her children and her mother in a house fire. I cannot imagine the depth of that loss, and I appreciate that Markie does not try to make her story sound less painful than it is. She deeply misses her children, and there are things about their deaths that remain difficult to carry. Yet she also shares how Jesus has met her in that pain.

One thing Markie reminded me of is that peace does not mean we stop hurting. We can deeply miss our children and still find moments of peace in Jesus’ presence. We can be thankful for the good things in our lives today and still wish with everything in us that our children were here to share them.

We may never have answers to all our questions this side of heaven. But we can bring God our tangled thoughts, our broken hearts, and even the questions we are afraid to ask. We don't have to understand the whole picture to ask Jesus to help us through today.

I share more of Markie’s story and our conversation about faith, grief, and trusting God after unimaginable loss in my new blog, “Trusting God After Losing All Four Children.”

Read it here: https://www.gpshope.org/trusting-god-after-losing-all-four-children/

If you know a grieving parent who is wrestling with questions about God, please share this post with them. You never know when they may need the reminder that they are not alone. If this encouraged you, please like the post and follow GPS HOPE for more hope and understanding as we navigate life after child loss.

Offering Hope Through Him,
Laura Diehl, GPS Hope

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Janesville, WI

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http://www.gpshope.org/, https://bio.link/realgpshope

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