069: Ambiguous Loss and the Faithfulness of God with Pat and Tammy McLeod

Pat and Tammy McLeod are Harvard chaplains for CRU, founding members of the Mamelodi Initiative in Africa, parents of four children, including Zack who has suffered a traumatic brain injury, and now new authors as they set pen to paper to chronicle in Hit Hard their story with their son and the subsequent ambiguous loss they have experienced. What we Chat about in This Episode: ~The McLeod's new book, what led them to write it, and what readers can expect ~Zack's traumatic brain injury and the lasting implications of it ~The importance of entering into someone's pain with them rather than just slapping a nice platitude on it ~The belief the McLeods hold to that what happened to Zack is part of a larger story that God is unveiling since the beginning of time; how that comforted them in their loss ~Our crucified God Who enters into our pain and feels it with us ~Meeting God in the Psalms ~The importance of lamenting ~Different ways of grieving and how the McLeods got through; the effect this loss had on their marriage ~Having to finally let go of the expectation of Zack being fully healed on this side of heaven; how the McLeods dealt with folks thinking that they had lost faith in God's ability to heal by doing so ~What life looks like for the McLeods now; how they have seen God bring good out of this journey ~What ambiguous loss is, and some coping mechanisms for it ~The importance of grieving in community ~And more! For full show notes, head to www.hargraveshomeandhearth.com/podcast