DEB RHODES

Deb and her husband, Steve, have been married for 47 years and live in Logansport, IN. They are the parents of two children, Natalie and David. Natalie was treated for cancer while in college. After treatment, she returned to obtain her degree, was a 5th grade teacher for five years before her death at age thirty in 2011, due to a recurrence of her cancer.

David was a champion for at-risk youth in his career. He worked in an alternative school, pediatric psychiatric hospital outpatient unit, and as a caseworker for a mental health facility. His heart for kids was apparent while he led church youth groups wherever he lived, bringing many unchurched youth to his groups. He had his own unique way of introducing them to Christ. His death at the age of thirty-eight in 2021, after a car accident, left a huge hole for so many people, but especially for his five-year-old daughter, Isabella.

Four years after Natalie’s death, Steve and Deb attended a respite retreat weekend held by David and Nancy Guthrie, where they learned about GriefShare. Soon after, they began offering it at their church. The benefit they got from GriefShare and from God’s healing made them want to offer that hope to others. Steve has taken a break from leading GriefShare for now, but Deb continues to facilitate it twice a year.

Experiencing God’s faithfulness through the grief journey after Natalie’s death, among other trials during that same time, has given them the hope and confidence that God will continue to comfort and strengthen them while they navigate the more recent loss of David. They have learned that joy and sorrow can co-exist in their lives at the same time. Missing Natalie and David brings so much sorrow and pain, but they still find joy in the life that God has put before them. They enjoy traveling together and especially spending time with their precious granddaughter, Isabella, who is the light of their lives.

OHAH Facilitator — Book Studies, GriefShare