Amber Smith on Grief, Loss, and Finding Faith After Tragedy

Navigating Profound Loss

• 💔 Amber Smith shares her deeply personal journey of grief following the tragic drowning death of her three-year-old son, River, and a subsequent miscarriage.
• 💡 She wrote her book, "The Girl on the Bathroom Floor," to give glory to God and offer encouragement to others facing immense pain, emphasizing that life is hard but God is good.

Strengthening Marital Bonds Through Grief

• 🤝 Amber and her husband, Granger Smith, committed to choosing each other during their darkest times, recognizing that grief is messy and requires work and grace.
• 🌟 Their shared commitment to their marriage, even in the face of unimaginable loss, ultimately made their relationship stronger.

Overcoming Guilt and Shame

• 😔 The Smiths grappled with intense parenting guilt, feeling they had failed in their primary duty to keep their children safe.
• 📖 They replaced the lies of the enemy and the world with the truth of God's word, particularly Psalm 139, to combat feelings of guilt and shame.

Finding Strength in Faith

• 🙏 Amber attributes her ability to be present for her other children solely to the strength of God, describing moments of complete surrender on her bathroom floor.
• 📖 She discovered healing and God's sovereignty through reading the Bible for the first time at age 38, finding His word to be her anchor.

Coping with Grief and Maintaining Joy

• 💬 Children grieve differently, and the Smiths allowed their children to see them grieve, assuring them that it's okay to feel sadness while also keeping River's memory alive within the family.
• ✨ Grief and deep inner peace (not just happiness) can coexist; Amber experienced this when their son Maverick was born while still grieving River.

The Light of Christ and Practical Advice

• 🌟 The ultimate light at the end of the tunnel is Christ, His word, and His presence, which provides strength, purpose, and truth.
• 🗣️ For those feeling abandoned by God, Amber advises replacing that lie with the truth of God's word, which promises He will never leave or forsake them, and to run to the Healer.

Glorifying God Through Tragedy

• 🤔 Shifting from asking "Why me?" to "What Lord, what would you have me do here?" helps in finding purpose and glorifying God even in pain.
• 👶 Amber discusses the decision to try for another baby after loss, emphasizing that it's not a betrayal but a beautiful new chapter in God's story.

Water Safety Advocacy

• 🏊‍♀️ After River's death, Amber became a fierce advocate for swim safety, stressing the need for multiple layers of protection around water, including supervision, fencing, and ISR (Infant Swim Rescue) training.
• 🎓 She highlights that puddle jumpers can be deceptive and that teaching children survival skills like floating and finding air is crucial.

Hope and Encouragement

• 🕊️ Amber hopes readers know they are not alone, that life is hard but God is good, and that their moment of grief is not the end.
• ❤️ She prays her book plants seeds for readers to seek, know, and adore Jesus, finding grace and joy even in brokenness.