The Empty Chair: Coping with Grief During the Holidays

Are you dreading the holidays this year because someone won't be at your table?

Maybe someone you love has died. Maybe your kids have grown up and moved away. Maybe traditions are changing and your heart is aching in ways you didn't expect.

You're not alone. And you don't have to "get through" this season by gritting your teeth and pretending you're fine.

In this episode, you'll discover:

✓ Why trying to plan or control your grief doesn't work (and what to do instead)

✓ How to process grief when it ambushes you unexpectedly—in the grocery store, looking at recipes, or decorating the tree

✓ Why you can feel grief AND joy at the same time (and why that's actually healthy)

✓ What Jesus's response to Lazarus's death teaches us about sitting with grief instead of rushing through it

✓ 7 practical tools for processing your emotions during the holidays (not just surviving them)

✓ What to say (and NOT say) if you're trying to comfort someone who's grieving

✓ How to acknowledge the empty chair without letting it destroy your peace

The promise of this episode: You'll learn that grief doesn't need to be fixed—it needs to be felt. And when you give yourself permission to feel it, you make space for healing, hope, and the presence of God right in the middle of your pain.

This episode is for you if:

• There's an empty chair at your table this year
• You're tired of people telling you to "stay positive" or "be grateful"
• You feel guilty for being sad during "the most wonderful time of the year"
• You don't know how to balance celebrating with grieving
• You're trying to help someone who's grieving and you don't know what to say
• You want tools to actually PROCESS your grief, not just survive the holidays

What You'll Learn:

Grief doesn't follow a plan - I share the story of my first Christmas without my Grandma Katherine and how God met me in a way I never expected when everything fell apart

Grief ambushes us - The Walmart aisle moment that taught me we can't schedule when we'll feel our losses

Traditions changing hurt - Why it's okay to grieve even when the person you love is alive and thriving (like when your kids grow up and move away)

Jesus wept - What the story of Lazarus teaches us about God's response to our grief (spoiler: He doesn't rush us through it)

The empty chair is real - How to acknowledge loss instead of ignoring it or stuffing it down

7 practical tools - Specific things you can do RIGHT NOW to process your grief in healthy ways

Holding both joy and sorrow - Why your heart is big enough for both, and how to stop making yourself wrong for your feelings

The anchor that holds - How Hebrews 6:19 and the name "Immanuel" remind us that God is WITH us in grief, not waiting on the other side of it

Bible Verses Referenced:

• John 11:33-35 (Jesus weeping over Lazarus)
• Hebrews 6:19 (An anchor for the soul)
• Psalm 23:4 (The valley of the shadow of death)

Free Resources: If you're struggling with grief this season and need someone to hold space with you, I'm offering free 50-minute coaching consultations. Sign up➡️  Here

Connect with Michelle:

• Website: michellediercks.com

Remember: Your grief isn't wrong. It's the message that you loved deeply. And you don't have to carry it alone.