Gritty Faith in the Midst of Grief with Prayer Artist Jessy Paulson

“Grief isn’t something you get over; it is something you learn to accept. In order to heal, we need to get uncomfortable. We need to make space for our grief by spending time in the quiet, by leaning on a community of people who truly get it, and by doing things that soothe our soul.”

Hey, my friends. Welcome back to Let’s Encourage One Another.

Those words I started with come from an email sent from Jessy Paulson on the fourth anniversary of her sister’s death as she shared four things she learned about grief. And in today’s episode, Jessy and I sit down and dive deeper into some of these things.

I know that so many of you are carrying grief around with you, whether the loss has been recent or was experienced years ago. And I know many of you are loving someone right now who is grieving a loss of their own, and you’re trying to find ways to care for them and love them through.

I feel like Jessy’s story and experience will resonate with so many of you. We talk about things like grieving out loud, grieving while parenting, using art as a way to pray, and how grief impacted her experience of God.

My friends, this is a sacred and tender conversation. I imagine you know how difficult it can be to share those places in your story where you carry grief and wounds and pain, and I always start each interview letting my guest know that if I ask a question that is too hard to talk about, too personal, just to let me know and we’ll move on. Some things aren’t meant to be shared yet. And that’s okay.

And Jessy was so incredibly open and gracious in sharing a bit of her heart and soul with us, and I know you won’t take that lightly. So I invite you to reach out to her following the episode and let her know how much you appreciate her. Can you do that for me?

Jessy and I met through an organization called Painted Prayers, where we both became trained to lead others in praying through art. She will share more of her work and ministry throughout our conversation, but for now, let’s go ahead and dive in and I’ll let her introduce herself.

MEET JESSY PAULSON:

Jessy Paulson is a small-town South Dakotan who shares her life with her husband Kyle and their three kids, Aleigha, Charley, and Conrad. Jessy is the prayer artist behind the j.hazel.paulson Prayer Art & Jewelry, the owner of the online retail store Purpose + Grit, and the founder of Gritty Faith Magazine. You’ll often find Jessy with paint on her clothes and coffee in her cup, tackling one of her many projects, 15 minutes at a time.

CONNECT WITH JESSY:

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Book: Faith Over Fear: Walking Angie Home
Episode 40: Meaningful Gifts for Those Who are Hurting: 4 Shops That Help You Show Love and Care
Painted Prayers Inc.