16 Jul 2026
Life After Child Loss-How One Christian Father Found Hope Again
Nuggets of Wisdom
“Grief is a marathon. It’s not a sprint.”
“God’s character has not changed even though my circumstances have.”
“That daily renewal is going to create transformation.”
“You are God, and I am not.”
“The intensity of my grief must be met with the intensity of my worship. It was the way that I fought. That I battled against the enemy.”
“We will continue to honor and glorify you even when it doesn’t make sense.”
“Truth matters, so what I had to learn to do was to continue to speak truth.”
“[It’s] really prepare for storms before they come.”
“The ark carried Noah’s family through the storm. It didn’t remove the storm from his family’s life.”
“God is redeeming our story. God is redeeming our suffering. God is redeeming our loss in a way that is for our good and for His glory.”
“Don’t do this alone.”
“Every day that calendar flips, I get closer to my reunion with him in heaven.”
“Nothing continues to move forward in my life without Jesus Christ.”
Author Bio
Matthew Efird is a grieving father, a husband, and a leader who has learned that true strength is not found in self-sufficiency but in a desperate need for a Savior. An honors graduate of The University of Georgia, Matthew and his high school sweetheart, Hannah, live outside of Athens, Georgia, where they run several businesses and serve their community.
Following the Trisomy 13 diagnosis and passing of their second son, Noah, Matthew felt an intense calling to share their raw journey, a path marked by both weeping and worshipping. He and Hannah are the founders of Even Though, We Will, an organization dedicated to providing practical “Arks” of support and care packages to families navigating the devastating waters of a terminal diagnosis.
Matthew is the host of the Pillars of Purpose Podcas (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pillars-of-purpose/id1765341534)t, where he explores living a life of purpose in faith, family, and business across 150+ episodes. He is the proud father of four boys: three who fill his home with wild joy and one who awaits him in the presence of their Savior.
You can purchase a copy of Matthew’ s book, Even Though, We Will: Finding Rest in the Waves of Child Loss and the Practical Arks that Carry Us Through (https://amzn.to/4f8WQFK), on Amazon.
Additional Reads and Resources
* A Guide for Listening and Inner-Healing Prayer: Meeting God in the Broken Places (https://amzn.to/4xACWMo) (Rusty Rustenbach)
Inner healing prayer transformed my pain and helped me see God’s loving presence in my past. I gained freedom from the ghosts of childhood abuse and abandonment.
Now, am a mental health and life coach who specializes in inner-healing prayer.
If you long for God to heal the broken places in your life, don’t hesitate to contact me at tammy.kennington@gmail.com. Let’s schedule your complimentary consultation!
If this episode was helpful to you, please share it with a friend or hit the subscribe button! I’d love to stay in touch.
Peace and grace,
Tammy
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