Episode 15

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Published on:

29th Oct 2026

#15 Chronic Illness Through a Sister's Eyes: What Growing Up Beside It Taught Her About Joy

Subtitle (SEO Boost):

A Christian conversation on chronic illness in the family, grief, miscarriage, and finding comfort and joy in hard seasons

đź’› Episode Summary:

What does chronic illness look like through the eyes of the little sister who grew up beside it? In this encore episode of Joy in Suffering, my sister Jenny Zimmerman shares what it was like to grow up in a family shaped by chronic illness, the year everything changed when she was 13, and the grief and fear she carried through her own hard seasons as a mom.

This week, as our church family grieves, I'm bringing this conversation back with a new introduction and a prayer for anyone who is grieving. If you love someone with chronic illness, or you're the one living with it and wondering how it touches the people around you, this episode is for you.

In this conversation, we talk about:

  • What it's really like to grow up beside a sibling with chronic illness, and how it quietly shapes who you become
  • The year everything split in two, and learning how to show up when you can't fix someone's pain
  • Jenny's own valleys of grief and fear, two miscarriages and her daughter in the ICU, and how God brought comfort through the people who showed up

đź“– Scripture:

2 Corinthians 1:3–4 (NIV)

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God."

Also: Matthew 5:4 · Galatians 6:2 · Psalm 37:5

🎶 Songs Mentioned:

"Wonder" by Natalie Merchant

▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zpYFAzhAZY

"Standing Outside the Fire" by Garth Brooks

▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ftI4gpprfw

✨ Word of the Week: Comfort

Comfort doesn't always look like answers. Sometimes it's a mom who shows up without being asked, a friend who holds your hand and says nothing, or a sister who finally walks into your room and asks, "How was your day?" God comforts us in our grief and our chronic illness, often through the people He places beside us.

đź’­ Reflection Question:

Who has brought you comfort in a hard season, and is there one person you could let a little closer this week?

đź”— Resources Mentioned:

Connect with Jenny

Connect with Melissa

My Books

  • The Courage to Say Yes (Hope Books Publishing): https://a.co/d/0d4rUZNf
  • Faith Over Fear: Trusting God Through Life's Uncertainties (I'm one of the contributing authors)

đź’› Signature Truth:

Your story isn't over.

God can bring purpose to your pain

And somehow- even here- joy still remains.

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About the Podcast

Joy in Suffering
A Christian Podcast for women navigating chronic illness, grief and hard seasons
Are you a Christian woman living with chronic illness, chronic pain, or deep grief — wondering where God is in the middle of your suffering?
Welcome to Joy in Suffering: a Christian podcast for women navigating chronic illness, grief, anxiety, stress, and the quiet heartbreak of lost dreams.
Hosted by Melissa Winters, who has lived with chronic illness since she was one year old, this podcast offers gentle, faith-filled conversations rooted in honest stories, Scripture, song, and hope that actually sustains you through the hard places.
Each episode creates space to wrestle honestly with suffering while remembering that God is present, loving, and still working — through stories, Scripture, and song.
Whether you're navigating chronic illness, walking through grief, struggling with anxiety and fear, grieving the life you thought you'd have, or simply exhausted from a season that won't let up — you'll find honest conversations, compassionate encouragement, and biblical hope designed to help you discover that joy is not the absence of pain. It is the presence of Christ within it.
What you'll find here:
1) Faith and hope for Christian women with chronic illness and chronic pain
2) Biblical encouragement for grief, loss, and hard seasons
3) Honest conversations about suffering, doubt, and holding onto God
4) Scripture-centered hope for anxiety, fear, and uncertainty
Stories of real women finding joy and purpose in the middle of limitations
5) Gentle encouragement for women who feel unseen, forgotten, or alone
If you've ever asked:
-Why does God feel so distant in my suffering?
-How do I find joy when nothing in my life is changing?
-Is it okay to struggle and still call myself a woman of faith?
-How do I hold onto hope when healing hasn't come?
-Does my life still have purpose even with chronic illness or grief?
You're in the right place.
This podcast is for Christian women who are tired of pretending they're okay — women who want real, Scripture-rooted encouragement that meets them right where they are, not after the storm passes.
New episodes drop every other Wednesday. Follow the show so you never miss an episode, and join Melissa on Instagram and Facebook at @melissawinters1974 for encouragement between episodes.
Your story isn’t over
Christ can bring purpose to your pain
and even here-Joy still remains

About your host

Profile picture for Melissa Winters

Melissa Winters

Melissa Winters is the host of Joy in Suffering, a Christian podcast for women navigating chronic illness, grief, and the hard seasons that don't make sense.

Having lived with chronic illness since she was one year old, Melissa knows what it's like to hold onto faith when nothing about your circumstances is changing. Through Stories, Scripture, and Song, she creates space for women to feel seen — not fixed, not lectured, just understood.

Joy in Suffering isn't about pretending everything's fine. It's about discovering that joy and suffering can live in the same room, because God is present in both.

You are not alone. Joy still remains.