What Grieving People Wish You Knew about What Really Helps

I am by no means an expert on grief. There are people who have suffered far more than I have. But I still found the practical suggestions in this little book to be profoundly helpful. Nancy Guthrie was able to put into words exactly my thoughts on how I wished people had responded when I and my family were going through seasons of grief.

Every Christian should pick up this book and read it. I promise, you will be so thankful you did.

Guthrie's book is truly a must-read for anyone wanting to know how to love and engage others well in the midst of grief. I've experienced loss but not to the extent of some friends and loved ones around me, and it was incredibly helpful to hear from Guthrie and many others she quotes as to what is helpful and what is not when engaging those who are grieving. She explores topics such as heaven, using Scripture, helpful things to say, hurtful things to say, normalization of grief, and others all the while avoiding overgeneralization and recognizing the personal nature of grief. There are examples of intentional questions to ask those who are grieving as well as encouragement to acknowledge the person's loss rather than pulling away for fear of saying the wrong thing.

This book may even be helpful for those who are grieving to give to friends and loved ones wanting to lean in and learn what really helps and what really hurts, as the title suggests.