Can You Just Sit with Me?: Healthy Grieving for the Losses of Life, By Natasha Smith

Can You Just Sit with Me?

Healthy Grieving for the Losses of Life

by Natasha Smith

Can You Just Sit with Me?
paperback
  • Length: 192 pages
  • Dimensions: 5.5 × 8.5 in
  • Published: September 26, 2023
  • Imprint: IVP
  • Item Code: A0621
  • ISBN: 9781514006214

*affiliate partner

"Why are you still sad about that?"

It takes time and space to grieve well, but often our culture doesn't afford us these things. Drawing from her own experience with grief, Natasha Smith invites us into a reflection on what it means to grieve and how to cling to hope even in our darkest moments. Instead of providing quick-fix solutions, this book creates space for us to take time to just sit and grieve, learn, and heal in healthy ways.

In Can You Just Sit with Me? Smith provides personal stories, biblical reflections, relevant research, practical tools, and prayers that point us to God, who always sits with us in our grief. Whether we are grieving a loss or supporting a friend who is grieving, this book reminds us that every loss is worthy of the space and grace to grieve.

"Natasha Smith has known great loss and has drawn great comfort from her God. Her honest and practical insights will bring help and hope to your grieving heart."

Clarissa Moll, author of Beyond the Darkness: A Gentle Guide for Living with Grief and Thriving after Loss

"In a time when people around the world are regularly experiencing grief and loss, Natasha Smith's words bring hope and healing to those who need it most. This is a must-read for ministry leaders everywhere, who will benefit from this biblical and practical wisdom to sit with the brokenhearted and experience God's healing grace."

Nicole Martin, chief impact officer at Christianity Today and author of Made to Lead: Empowering Women for Ministry

"As a therapist, I have always sought a book for my clients navigating their grief journey, which would offer comfort, guidance, hope, and support in one place. This is that book. Through devastating personal losses and the growth that accompanies them, the author provides a faith-based road map complete with nurturing exercises following each chapter. They allow readers the safe spaces needed to walk with their grief, embrace it, understand it, and ultimately find the healing they desperately seek. Can You Just Sit with Me? speaks in equal parts to one's heart, mind, spirit, and soul. I consider it a privilege to recommend this masterpiece to anyone trying to find the courage and strength to heal."

Lisa Leshaw, mental health professional and coauthor of How Are You Feeling, Momma?

"Natasha Smith gets grief, and she's ready to sit with you in yours. Her stories are real—emotions raw, questions honest, and faith courageous. Whether you're walking through a season of sorrow or working through a series of losses, not only will you find Natasha to be a patient and empathetic friend, but her words will point you again and again to the best friend—Jesus."

Katie Faris, author of He Will Be Enough and God Is Still Good

"In Can You Just Sit with Me? Natasha Smith gets honest about grief and creates space for us to do the same. As an experienced griever, Smith joins us in the complexities of our own grief without offering simple solutions or trying to rush us through the grieving process. Instead, she gently guides us toward wholeness by pointing us to the God of comfort and hope."

Jenny Albers, author of Courageously Expecting: 30 Days of Encouragement for Pregnancy After Loss

"From the first few words of this book, you know you're sitting down with someone who doesn't just know about grief but has lived grief. Someone who isn't going to tell you all the right things but all the real things. And someone who will still help you find faith and hope in God again. Filled with beautiful reflections, gentle grief exercises, and much comfort, this book is a balm for a weary soul."

Peace Amadi, psychology professor and author of Why Do I Feel Like This?

"As pastors, we have walked alongside many people through seasons of transition and grief. That's why we are thrilled about Natasha Smith's book Can You Just Sit with Me? This book emphasizes the transformative power of empathy, human connection, and the comforting presence of Jesus during times of grief. Natasha expertly weaves real-life examples throughout the book, making it both relatable and inspiring. Additionally, practical exercises and reflection questions at the end of each section empower readers to apply what they have learned to their everyday lives and relationships. It is a must-read for anyone seeking to improve their relationships, deepen their empathy and understanding, and find comfort in the love of Jesus."

Matt and Martha Fry, pastors of HopeFront Church

"Natasha Smith is no stranger to the depths of grief and sorrow, as she's experienced more than many do in a lifetime. Yet she uses her story to take the hand of the brokenhearted and stand as a guide along this gut-wrenching, yet somehow beautiful, healing journey. This book will make any grieving soul feel seen and understood, and remind you that the Lord is intimately near in our suffering."

Kelli Bachara, licensed professional clinical counselor and writer

"Can You Just Sit with Me? is a beautiful reminder that we are never alone. In our darkest moments, God is with us. Thank you, Natasha, for reminding us of the power of prayer and for giving us permission to grieve."

Leslie Means, founder of Her View From Home

"Natasha Smith captivates her readers with a multiplicity of real-time, transparent, and personal grief stories. Even though grief is inevitable for all humanity, Can You Just Sit with Me? offers a palatable perspective. Natasha's writing style brings ease and hope in the midst of this heart-wrenching experience. Not only does she see the challenges of grief, she also comprehends the benefits. It is comforting to know that during the grieving process, we are not alone. We find hope and comfort in knowing that God and his Word are sustaining factors for all on their grief journey."

Barbara L. Peacock, author of Soul Care in African American Practice

"Natasha writes vividly, ushering us through the experience of grief toward a sense of hope. She shares her grief journey and gently guides us along on our own, using biblical examples that resonate. I especially appreciate the grief exercises and prayers at the end of each chapter that invite us into God's presence."

Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young, author of Breathing Through Grief and writer for Proverbs 31 Ministries
More

Read an Excerpt

CONTENTS

Introduction
1. Say That Again
2. This Is Grief
3. Permission to Grieve
4. Does God Understand?
5. Questions
6 Unanswered Prayers
7. What's the Meaning of This?
8. Longing for Home
9. An Invisible Grief
10. A Revealing Grief
11. Both/And Jesus
12. Healing Paths
13. As We Sit

Acknowledgments
Appendix: The Feeling Wheel
Notes

More

You May Also Like

Natasha Smith

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.