Episode 12

full
Published on:

16th Sep 2026

#12 Finding Hope After Loss and Chronic Illness: No Tears are Wasted Part 2

Subtitle:

Learningl to receive help, trusting God with grief, and Avery's story

Episode Summary:

What happens when you stop trying to hold everything together and let someone else carry it for a while? In Part 2 of my conversation with writer Brooke Bendell Stark, we go deeper into what it's meant for her to receive — not just give — as she's lived with MS, and we sit with one of the hardest and most tender parts of her story: her daughter Avery's traumatic brain injury and what it taught her about a God who wastes nothing, not even our tears.

In this conversation, we talk about:

- Learning to receive help instead of always being the one holding it together, and what actually sustains Brooke day to day

- Trusting God with what you can't explain — Romans 8:28 and the story of Avery's birth and traumatic brain injury

- Writing through grief: Brooke's memoir "The Master's Loom," and a closing word for the woman who feels done

⏱️ Episode Timestamps:

0:00 — Cold open: Avery's story and "your tears aren't wasted"

1:13 — Welcome back to Joy in Suffering + recap of Part 1

2:08 — How living with MS has shaped her faith

3:37 — Day-to-day adjustments — walking, balance, being prepared

4:29 — Learning to receive help, not just give it

7:00 — What sustains her: scripture, prayer, and worship

8:48 — "No tears are wasted" — God gathering our grief

10:19 — Romans 8:28 and the story of Avery's birth and traumatic brain injury

16:50 — Writing her memoir, "The Master's Loom"

21:43 — A message for the woman who feels exhausted and alone

25:03 — The song that carries her: "I Can Only Imagine" by MercyMe

28:03 — Where to find Brooke and her writing

📖 Scripture:

Romans 8:28 (NIV) — "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." —

🎶 Song Mentioned:

"I Can Only Imagine" by MercyMe

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=I+Can+Only+Imagine+MercyMe

✨ Word of the Week: Receive

Not just give — receive. Brooke put it simply: "I've had to learn to receive. And in learning to receive, I've learned how to give." You don't have to be the one holding it all together. Letting someone else carry something for you isn't weakness — it's part of how God cares for us through each other.

💭 Reflection Question:

Where do you need to trust that your tears, your grief, and your unanswered questions aren't wasted — that God is keeping every one of them?

🔗 Resources Mentioned:

- Brooke's website: brookebstark.com

- Brooke on Instagram: @BrookeBStark

- Brooke on Facebook: The Weaver's Porch

- Brooke on Substack: The Weaver's Porch

- Brooke's upcoming memoir: "The Master's Loom: Weaving Beauty Through Broken Dreams and Frayed Hopes"

💛 Signature Truth:

Your story isn't over.

God can bring purpose to your pain

And somehow- even here- joy still remains.

Next Episode All Episodes Previous Episode

Listen for free

Show artwork for Joy in Suffering

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.