Episode Transcript
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Delilah (00:00):
Hello, my friend, Hello, my fellow friends of faith. Hopefully
you are a friend of faith. If you don't have
faith and you found this podcast somehow, hopefully your heart,
your mind, your spirit will be open to the possibility
that God is real, so very real. Hello to my
(00:24):
prayer warriors as well. Thank you for joining me for
another episode of our new podcast, Have a Little Faith.
If you found me today, then chances are you already
have that faith. Maybe you found me because you need
some faith, you feel like there's something missing in your life.
It's so weird, Like we can acknowledge that we are
(00:46):
more than the physical body that we walk around in.
We can acknowledge that we have a mind, that we
have a heart, that we have a soul. But it's
very hard for some people to knowledge that they are
not just physical beings or mental beings, that they are
also spiritual beings, and they don't know how to connect
(01:10):
to that part of themselves. So if you are searching
for faith, for a direction to your spiritual life, welcome aboard.
I am here to share the very best of me,
and please understand how much I appreciate you joining me today.
I've said it before, and I will keep saying it.
(01:31):
This podcast was created to be a place dedicated to faith.
I believe with every fiber of my being that there
is a supreme being, a higher power and almighty. I
call him God, and I believe that He sent his
(01:54):
son in the form of Jesus. And I believe that
through my faith, I will spend eternity in a glorious
state of being where there is no pain, no death,
no dying, no separation from the ones I love. That
is what my faith leads me to believe. That is
(02:19):
the basis for my life. Do I always follow God's word?
Of course not. Do I fall short every single day?
Of course I do. I'm human. But today's podcast is
about the subject of grief. We need to talk about grief.
We need to talk about the sadness in our life.
(02:39):
Our society does not hold space for grief. We don't
hold space for any big emotions. We really don't or
any monumental things. In other countries, when women give birth,
they're given time off to bond with their baby and
care for the baby. Here, it's like top chop back
to work, come onsen a few weeks, get back on
(03:01):
your feet. Same is true with grief. In other cultures,
in other parts of the world, when somebody that is
close to you, your parent, or your child, or your
spouse or your siblings, when they pass you are honored
and given ways to grieve. Here, you're like, oh, you
(03:22):
should be over it. It's been a few weeks, hasn't it.
Grief is a difficult and complex part of our life,
and as a society, we do not handle grief very well.
As someone who unfortunately has experienced grief over and over again,
I was in my thirties when I lost my parents,
I was in my twenties when I lost my brother,
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and I have buried three sons, my birth son, my
adopted son, and my step son, and I would like
to help change the way we deal with and respond
to grief. I want to start a conversation or join
a convoy surrounding grief and give you permission to acknowledge
(04:06):
that your life has just been devastated and you need
time to cry, to weep, to wail, to mourn, to heal.
If you are someone who has experienced deep grief, this
episode is for you. And if you're someone who has
(04:26):
never experienced deep grief, you will experience deep grief in
your life, So this episode is for you too. Let
me start our conversation today by sharing a phone call
that I took on the air on my radio show
from a gentleman named Don. Don just lost the love
(04:49):
of his life, his wife of many many years. His
story will speak to you, I promise, Don. Thanks, thank
you for calling. What can I do for you? Tonight
on the Delilah Show.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Hi, Delilah, I'm finally glad I get to talk to you.
I feel like I've known you for forty years.
Delilah (05:10):
I've been here fifty one.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
That's awesome. I just have to tell you. And I
didn't want to have a lot of time, but I've
been listening to you that long and tonight I come
home and sat on the front porch or the patio,
either one, and I'm feeling a little lonely. So I
thought I'm going to see if Delilah's out there. So
you didn't even know you were my girlfriend for years.
(05:32):
But the reason.
Delilah (05:35):
But I was always there, huh. I always showed up
every night.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Whether it's recorded or not. I know I can find
Delilah if I can't find anybody else. But the reason
I'm calling is if you could play something for my wife.
I lost her this year and it's been a bed here,
real bad. But I got to tell you, the worst
part about losinger is coming home at night and opening
the front door and there is nobody on the other
(06:01):
side of the door. But you know, it was always
there for me, Delilah.
Delilah (06:07):
I was going to say God, because God will be
there too, but it's hard to hear him sometimes.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
I can finally understand now what depression and anxiety is
and be sympathetic to other people for I kind of
neglected to pay attention to what they were saying. But
it's been horrible, and I thank God for you and
what you do. You have your own mission and you
don't know how much it's doing for people. We love you.
Delilah (06:37):
So tell me about your bride.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
She passed this year on a We went on a
cruise and she got sick on the cruise and long
story shorted it. Ultimately she ended up with pneumonia. She
was a labor and delivery nurse and I worked for
the airlines, so we were able to change our residences
around the country when we had to just to keep
the job. But she brought more kids into the world
(07:02):
than some of these doctors, because the doctors usually don't
get there on time. So but I miss her an
awful lot. If you could just play something for I'd
appreciate it.
Delilah (07:14):
And Don what's your wife's name?
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Her name is Richelle, like Michelle with an R.
Delilah (07:19):
I will play a song to bring her memory. I
know I can't bring her presence. I wish, I wish
I could pray and do a miracle like Jesus did
with Lazareth for you, because I can hear in your
voice how much you miss your beloved, but I can't.
I can pray that God will ease the pain and
(07:43):
give you just a little glimpse into Heaven to give
you that hope to hang on to.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Thank you for your love and your caring.
Delilah (07:53):
Can I say a prayer for you, don before you
hang up?
Speaker 3 (07:56):
Yes?
Delilah (07:56):
Please, thank you Father God. I thank you Lord for
letting this gentleman get through on the phone lines tonight.
I thank you God for allowing me the honor and
the privilege to speak with him and to pray with
him as well as be with him on the air
each night. Lord, I don't know why you called Rochelle home.
I don't understand, Lord, God, why such good people are
(08:23):
taken from us way too soon. But I do know,
Lord God, that you say that all of our days
are numbered before a single one comes to pass, you
know exactly when you're going to call me home. That
day has already been determined long before I came to
this world. And I pray, Lord God, that you would
(08:44):
sustain this gentleman and give him everything that he needs
to carry on each day. Lord, when you say the
two shall become one flesh, it's true. When we love
our spouse so much, we become one where they finish
our sentences, they know what we're thinking. We have code
(09:04):
words with the ones that we love. We have we
don't even have to say things. We can just look
at each other and know what the other is thinking.
I have that with my husband, and it's such a gift.
I pray, Lord God, that you would be there for
this gentleman as he tries to wrap his head around
the fact that half of him is missing, but he
(09:27):
still has to get up and get dressed and breathe
and carry on. I pray God you would show him
why he's still here. There is a story that is
left unwritten that he needs to finish before he gets
to join you in glory. Show him what that purpose is,
Show him exactly why he is still here. Show him
(09:49):
what it is that you want him to do to accomplish.
Who it is that you want him to love to
reach out to. I pray God that right now you
would just be with him in such a tangible way,
such a real way. He will feel your presence, feel
your hug, feel your love, and know how much you
(10:14):
love him and his beloved. I asked this in your
precious and your holy name. Amen.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
I'll say, man, thank you very much, Delilah.
Delilah (10:24):
There is something that is still unwritten that you're to finish.
I don't know what it is. I don't know who
it is, but there's somebody that needs a touch from
the Lord, and you're the one that is going to
be impacting their life for all eternity.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
I've prayed about it, and I don't know what the
purpose is, but I agree with you there's something there.
Because we both retired at the same time and all
we want to do is grow all together, and we
didn't get to do that. So hold your loved ones
close because that extra time you don't spend with them
you'll regret it.
Delilah (11:03):
Amen, God, bless you.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
Thank you. I'm glad I got through listen to you
a long time.
Delilah (11:09):
Me too, good night, I love you.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Thank you.
Delilah (11:13):
Don's call broke my heart. I know full well what
it feels like to walk into the empty room. I
think we all do. This silence is deafening, opening the
door to a now empty house, a bedroom, a closet,
top drawer of the chester drawers, the drawer that was
(11:34):
once filled with evidence of a life being lived, so
very hard, so very lonely. If you're listening right now,
send on a prayer, Send a prayer to God and say,
please comfort this man. Trust me. Prayer is a very
powerful thing. I would not be alive today if it
(11:57):
weren't for the prayers of so many people who have
lifted me up during the darkest hours. The next call
I want to share with you is from a young
lady named Caitlin, a very sweet young lady who recently
lost her mama now finds herself dealing with her own
(12:18):
serious health concerns. Caitlyn's call coming up next. Hello, good evening.
You've called Delilah, who is on the phone line with me.
Speaker 4 (12:29):
Hey, Delilah, my name is Caitlyn. I'm so so happy
to be talking to you.
Delilah (12:33):
Hi, Caitlin. You have a great voice too. You have
a like raspy radio voice.
Speaker 4 (12:39):
Thank you. I appreciate that more than you know.
Delilah (12:42):
What can I do for you? How can I make
your night better?
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (12:45):
Actually, just being able to connect with you has honestly
made my night better. I'm actually going right now into
the hospital to get my brain.
Speaker 5 (12:54):
Am I done?
Speaker 4 (12:55):
Because I'm going through diagnostic process for multiple square fists?
But the real reason I'm calling is actually because my
mom had passed away two years ago this month, and
just I don't know, I asked her for a sign
tonight and I was listening to you a whole two
hour right up here, and I feel like just kind
(13:17):
of being able to get onto your line is that
sign for me? Because you are an impossible woman to
get a hold of.
Delilah (13:25):
Well, God knew you needed to get through tonight. And
your mom was like, Lord, could you just got her
a break here? Just I can't be there to wrap
my arms around her. Could you let another mama tell
her how much I love her?
Speaker 4 (13:38):
And then thank you?
Delilah (13:40):
So you're going in tonight for an MRI. You have
like a procedure schedule. Late.
Speaker 4 (13:45):
Yeah, I'm walking from the parking garage. I'll read to
my MRI now, So I think I made it a
minute early.
Delilah (13:50):
Wow. Wow, Well, can I say a prayer for you quick?
Since I got a minute?
Speaker 4 (13:55):
Absolutely? I would love that.
Delilah (13:57):
Father, God, I thank you for letting Caitlin get through
on the phone lines tonight. I pray God that this
test would not be too nerve wracking, that the noise
would not be jarring, that she would be able to
relax and not get claustrophobic. I pray God that it
would go quickly and smoothly and not be too uncomfortable.
(14:17):
I pray Lord that the results would show that she
does not have anything that is going to slow her down,
that she does not have any issue that's going to
impede her reaching her goals and her dreams. I pray
Lord that your holy spirit would be upon her. I
pray God, from the top of her head to the
bottom of her feet right now, she would feel you,
(14:40):
that you would do a miraculous work God, that you
would put everything into perfect order. I pray God for peace,
the peace that surpasses all understanding. And I pray for
a supernatural healing. Amen.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
Amen, thank you so so much Forlilah.
Delilah (14:57):
What's mama's name, Eileen? And was mama when God called
her home?
Speaker 4 (15:02):
She was fifty eight years young.
Delilah (15:04):
You had your mama one year more than I had mine,
And I know how much I miss her to this day.
And it's so unfair. It's so and people don't understand
when you're an adult and you're an orphan. Everybody's like, oh,
I'm sorry, but you want to scream. No, you don't
understand at all. I need my best friend here to
(15:28):
guide my steps. I need her here. I need her hugs,
I need her laughter, I need her sense of humor.
I need her recipes. I need her when I've had
a bad day. I need her when I've had a great.
Speaker 4 (15:38):
Day, everything in between. You know, she sends me signs
really often to let me know that she's here. But
I think that people don't understand until they lose their
best friend that it's the physical things that you really
miss most, you know, hearing their laugh and feeling their.
Delilah (15:54):
Touch and having her drive you to an MRI that
you really don't want to have.
Speaker 4 (15:59):
Right exactly exactly because I know that she would be
here with me otherwise, so.
Delilah (16:04):
Well, I'm glad that she had me pick up the
phone me too.
Speaker 4 (16:08):
Thank you, Delilah, Thank you so much.
Delilah (16:10):
You're just going to pretend when you go into that
MRI that I'm there holding your hand and waiting on
the other side when you get out. Okay, Thank you, Delilah.
Speaker 4 (16:19):
I really appreciate that more more than you know.
Delilah (16:22):
You are not alone.
Speaker 4 (16:24):
I'm giving you a big, big hug right now.
Delilah (16:26):
You are not alone.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
Thank you.
Speaker 4 (16:29):
No idea how much I needed to hear that.
Delilah (16:31):
Yeah, I do. And I believe in you, and your
mama believed in you so much, and you're going to
get through this and you're going to come out victorious.
Speaker 4 (16:39):
Absolutely.
Delilah (16:40):
Thank you, all right, good luck. I am so glad
that Caitlin was able to get through on my phone lines.
I really do believe her mom made that happen. I
believe that. I believe that actually God made it happen
so that there could still be a connection. If any
of you out there know a young person who has
(17:01):
lost a parent or the one person who loved them unconditionally,
please know that they need you. They won't ever say it,
they won't ever ever be able to say there is
a huge void in my life. My heart is shattered.
I need you to stand with me and love me
(17:24):
through it. I need you to help me cry. Those
are words we are not able to say. I wasn't
I don't know why. But we're not taught that grief
is okay, and that when our heart is shattered. We
need people not to come along and say trite things
(17:44):
or foolish things, or minimize our pain or tell us
we'll get through it. Just come and stand beside us
and help us cry. Every night I come into the
studio and I open up the phone lines so that
I can find out what's going on in your heart
and your world, who you love and why you love them.
(18:05):
But we can't ignore what's going on in the world
around us. This is a place to come and let
your heart beat freely and share love. But sometimes issues
going on are so overwhelming that we have to acknowledge
(18:25):
the hearts that are breaking. And so it is with
the flooding in Texas. We've had wildfires, we've had landslides,
we've had floods this year, crazy things going on around
the world, and it's getting crazier. And the floods that
happened last weekend in Texas were so crazy. A wall
(18:48):
of water came rushing through entire communities and now lives, homes,
camps have been washed Awayildren are still missing and our
prayers go out to them. And just a minute, I'm
going to talk to Randy, who's been trying all night
to get through to say a prayer for the people
(19:11):
in Texas. Stay tuned for that call coming up next. Hi, Randy,
how is your summer twenty twenty five going?
Speaker 3 (19:19):
So far? So good?
Delilah (19:21):
What's been the best part so far?
Speaker 3 (19:23):
Being able to drive again?
Delilah (19:26):
You had lost that ability, lost that privilege.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
Yes, I had a seizure two days before Christmas and
I just started driving the last Friday of June.
Delilah (19:37):
And what can I do for you tonight?
Speaker 3 (19:40):
I was wondering if we could spend our love and
our prayers to the families in the Texas that have
lost their children.
Delilah (19:50):
And do you have family in the Texas area or
your heart's just breaking like those of us that have
watched the horror unfold and just shake our heads, going God,
what is going on?
Speaker 2 (20:03):
Lord?
Speaker 3 (20:03):
God put it on my heart to call you. So
I've been calling for two hours and I finally got through.
Delilah (20:10):
I'm so glad you got through. Do you want to
say a prayer with me for them?
Speaker 3 (20:15):
Yes, ma'am.
Delilah (20:16):
Father God, I thank you Lord for allowing Randy to
get through on the phone lines. I thank you God
for his heart, for his tender, tender heart. I praise
you God that you quickened his heart to call, and
that you quicken my heart to answer this line. Father,
we lift up everybody in Central Texas, everybody that has
(20:37):
been affected by the flooding. We lift them up and
we pray Lord, God, your hand upon them. The families
who lost children, especially over eighty people, are gone, God,
and lives have been destroyed. Families have been devastated. The
whole area. God, in the blink of an eye, happen
(21:00):
in less than an hour. Father, I pray that they
would be able to find more survivors, that they would
be able to bring peace to the families that are
looking for their loved ones. God, that you would help
them to find them. I pray you would help them
to find them alive. God. I pray Lord that your
(21:21):
arms would wrap around the whole community and give comfort
to those who are grieving. God, you are our shelter.
In the storms of life, and we will praise you
even in the midst of the crushing storms. God, we
praise you through all of this. We praise your Holy name. Amen. Amen,
(21:44):
you have a tender heart, Randy. I love that. Thank
you for calling.
Speaker 3 (21:48):
You're welcome. God Bless you, God.
Delilah (21:50):
Bless you. The last call I want to share with
you today is from Angie. She has an incredible testimony
to share about one of her favorite friends friends, and
I'm going to share this beautiful call with you right now. Angie. Hi,
good evening, Welcome to the Delilah Show. Tell me who
is on your heart tonight and how I can bring
(22:13):
a little more hope to your life.
Speaker 5 (22:17):
Oh, thank you to Alilah so much. Tonight. I have
a very very special friend on my heart. I've known
her for twenty years. We recently lost her this week.
She had a traumatic brain episode and she currently was
(22:39):
living in Virginia. She's a pastor's wife. They've adopted twelve children,
and she worked in the adoption world. Is where I
met her, as I have four of my own that
are adopted. She's matched hundreds of families all over the US,
brought people together. Just an amazing incredible human people. Up
(23:02):
until the day she passed. She donated her her workins
donated just absolutely incredible and her family was very unexpected.
They are, you know, of course hurting, and just there's
so many people that loved her. She was a comedy
and heart. She would just make everybody that came in
contact with her laugh, and she was a jokester, but
(23:24):
she was also a servant. And she is just one
of the most incredible humans I probably ever met. And
we are very sad that we have we have lost
or so seen.
Delilah (23:34):
And what's your friend's name?
Speaker 5 (23:36):
Claudia Fletcher and she they currently are pastoring her husband's
pastoring in a church in Virginia.
Delilah (23:44):
And they've adopted how many kids?
Speaker 5 (23:47):
They have adopted twelve of their own, mostly from the
foster care system. And she also has worked in the
adoption world for many many years, matching many families with
children and making families come together.
Delilah (24:05):
So did she help you facilitate your adoptions or you
just met her because you both were adoptive moms.
Speaker 5 (24:12):
Well, she did not match me with my children. However,
we both lived in another state at the time, and
she would have adoption family weekends where families would come
with their children, and she had all these activities and
they would just you know, a chance for adoptive parents
(24:33):
and families to get together and meet each other and
just and have a nice, relaxing, fun weekend. And from
the first time I met her, she of course you
just can't help but love her. But she's just one
of the funniest people I think I've ever met, and
just was always there for anybody who needed anything, and
(24:56):
volunteered so many hours I can't even begin to tell you.
She worked for an adoption vagency, and she also volunteered
with one, matching families to children and foster heres that
were ready for adoption. Of course, her husband's a pastor,
and you know, there's so many things that go along
with that volunteering. You know, lots of time.
Delilah (25:15):
I think when you're married to a pastor, it's volunteerlding.
It's not volunteering, it's volunteerding. It kind of goes with
the territory. It goes with the territory that the three
am hysterical calls because somebody's in jail, because somebody's pregnant,
because somebody's in the hospital, because somebody ran out of
diapers because somebody needs prayer. It's kind of volunteering. Yeah,
(25:39):
you're right, but she did it with a smile and
made you laugh the whole time.
Speaker 5 (25:44):
Always, always, yes, always the servant's heart.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
You know why this makes me sad? This conversation makes
me sad, Angie, Why because I'm going to have to
wait until God calls me home before I get to
meet this angel.
Speaker 5 (25:58):
Yes, and you will know her on YouTube.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
She is.
Speaker 5 (26:03):
Oh, she's just amazing.
Delilah (26:06):
I have never heard of another person. And I'm not
patting myself on the back, but I have twelve adopted
children and I've never heard of anybody who is that insane.
And now I could have met her and said, wow,
how do you do it? Because I'm not sure how
I'm going to keep doing it. My youngest is nine,
(26:27):
and she can't tell me that now because she's busy
dining with the King of Kings.
Speaker 5 (26:33):
Yes she is, Yes, she is. She's probably telling jokes,
I'm sure right now. Yeah, and all of her children,
so you know, they live in different parts of the country,
and most of the children got to come and sayk
avised her, which was very special. Yeah, she's just anything,
and she I'm not even I can't even know account
(26:55):
of grandchildren at this point that they have. So wait,
let's tell all years get older and then you start
having all the to go along.
Delilah (27:01):
Well, I've got twenty three so far, and only half
of my children are partnered and you know, married off
or have a partner and kids. So I am the
old woman who lives in a shoe.
Speaker 5 (27:16):
Wow, that's amazing.
Delilah (27:20):
Is there a song that you can think of that
I might have in my collection that would celebrate the
life of this phenomenal, beautiful, amazing, loving giving woman. That is,
like I said, now dining with the King of Kings.
Speaker 5 (27:41):
You're the professional. I think you will pick out the
perfect song. So I'm going to leave that.
Speaker 4 (27:45):
Up to you.
Delilah (27:46):
I think we need to celebrate the fact that Claudia
had love and she gave it all away. And I
am going to find a song and play a song
that celebrates when you give it away, when you give
the love away.
Speaker 5 (28:00):
I love that. That's perfect.
Delilah (28:02):
I love Angie that you called thank you, thank you
for sharing this this person. And I will make a
mental note that when God calls me home, one of
the first people I'm going to look for. Well, after
I see my folks and my kids that are there.
This is going to be your friend, Claudie. And I'm
going to say, Claudia, you don't know me, but Angie
told me all about you.
Speaker 5 (28:25):
What she say, Yes, that'll be wonderful.
Delilah (28:30):
I'm sorry for your loss. I'm sorry for the world's loss. Yeah,
sounds like she's got left some big shoes that you're
gonna you're gonna need to step into.
Speaker 5 (28:41):
Yes, that is true. That is true.
Delilah (28:44):
Keep that legacy of love alive. Yes, absolutely, thank you,
Thank you, Thank you, Angie. Your faith just resonated with me.
I need to be reminded of that as much as
you do. You just helped illuminate a point that I
really want to make. When we grieve deeply, it's because
(29:05):
we love deeply. The deeper the love, the deeper that bond,
the stronger that bond, the harder it is to get
through the pain.
Speaker 5 (29:16):
Thank you so much.
Delilah (29:18):
When it comes to grief, words are never enough, But
you know it is holding someone's hand, listening, even if
they share the same story over and over and over again, listening,
taking a walk, holding space for them. You can be
a witness who testifies to love. You can be a
(29:41):
witness who stands in the gap for someone who needs
a touch from God. Thank you to Don and Caitlin
and Angie for sharing your stories with me and with
all of us and speaking of that. If you have
something you would like like to share, something you'd like
(30:02):
to respond to, If you need prayer, if you want
to rejoice, if you want to testify to love, call
me in the evenings Monday through Friday one eight eight, eight, six,
three three five four five two. Follow and subscribe right
now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you
(30:25):
listen to your podcast, and I'll be waiting for you
until we meet again. Until next time, do me a favor.
Remember to have a little faith, Be love,