What to Do When You're Afraid to Be Joyful Again After Loss

Daily Devotions for Busy Lives · Oct 12, 2026 · 6m · transcript

You catch yourself laughing after a loss, and guilt shows up right behind it. Learn what the ashes of Isaiah 61 were, and who does the exchange that puts gladness back into a grieving heart.

There's something that happens to people who have lost someone. You catch yourself laughing, and a flash of guilt comes with it. Being happy starts to feel like a betrayal of the person you lost, as though joy would mean you've moved on before you were ready.

This episode opens with Sherri Lynn Miller, a young wife with a toddler and a baby on the way when the call came. Her husband Sean, a school band…