My name is Nadia. I started coming to Eastside about six years ago. My husband and I became pregnant, and we were looking for a home church after I lost both my parents. My mom was diagnosed with a brain tumor and a week later she died. This sudden tragedy caused a spiral of emotions, and I was angry. I didn’t trust God, and I broke away from the church. What I didn’t realize at the time was that my dad was going through similar personal turmoil. He spiraled out of control. He started heavily using drugs, and drinking alcohol, which eventually took a toll. Shortly, thereafter he was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver. I think the hardest part for me was watching him die. I felt so alone, and I knew I couldn’t continue the way that I had when my mom had passed.
GriefShare at Eastside Christian Church
It was during this season that I found GriefShare at Eastside Christian Church. Shortly after my dad passed away, I just thought, you know, I have nothing else to lose. So either I like it or I won’t, but at this point, I just figured it was worth a shot. I was surprised to realize how helpful the group actually was. As soon as I saw the content of the video, I just started crying because it was so relevant to everything that I was not only feeling at that time but what I had felt for so many years. There were so many emotions I hadn’t even recognized as symptoms of grief. The people speaking were just so relatable. The speakers included experts, psychologists, pastors, and everyday people who shared honestly about their struggles and the challenges of grief. Hearing different people’s stories helped me realize I wasn’t crazy, and what I was going through was actually very normal.
Thankfully, GriefShare is not a place where people are judging you and it doesn’t matter where you are in your walk. It doesn’t matter what you don’t know. Even though the stories may be different, and the losses differ, the support was available to everyone. We were there crying on each other’s shoulders, handing each other issues, sharing memories, and telling the memories of our loved ones. There was no apologizing for the tears or the ugly crying. There’s no apology for the resentment or the broken voices. It’s very loving and welcoming. No matter how different we are, we still hurt the same. We cry. We have our losses. If I could give any bit of encouragement to somebody who may be experiencing any type of difficult loss, it is to remember that everyone is looking for hope. GriefShare offers it!
If you were inspired by this story, we would love to tell you more about Eastside. We have a relentless love and commitment for all to know God. We are committed to finding unique ways to serve in our local communities and help our global neighbors. We are passionate about finding solutions, building bridges, and bringing the love and hope of Jesus to hurting communities. We would love to invite you to join us in person or online. At Eastside we believe that this is a place for everyone, wherever you are on your journey. If you would like to find out more about Eastside, please visit eastside.com.