How to Trust God After a Tragic Loss

How do you move forward when life shatters in a single moment?

For Jacke Rose, that question isn’t theoretical — it’s the heartbeat of her story. When I read her biography in the message she sent me while pitching to be a guest on the show, I was in awe of everything she had been through and how she has bounced back so strongly. I knew she needed to be a guest and would add so much value to my audience and their struggles.

Losing a child is every parent’s worst nightmare, but Jacke’s testimony shows how God can meet us even there — in the middle of the unimaginable — and begin to build something redemptive out of ruin.

A Tragedy No Mother Should Ever Face

Jacke’s life changed forever when her eldest son, Randy, an Air Force serviceman, suffered a severe mental health crisis after an intense season of military training. What started as marital struggles spiraled into unthinkable tragedy. In a state of disassociation — trained to detach from emotion during combat — Randy attacked his wife, children, and father-in-law before taking his own life.

And yet — there was a miracle in the midst of horror.

During the assault, Jacke’s daughter-in-law cried out the name of Jesus three times. Every single family member survived. That moment became the anchor that would later carry Jacke through what came next: grief layered on grief, but also grace layered on grace.

Walking Through the Aftermath

In the months that followed, Jacke stepped in to help raise her grandchildren while their mother recovered. The family faced the heavy realities of PTSD, physical recovery, and emotional trauma. Jacke describes grief as a “stowaway” — something that never entirely leaves, but travels with you as life moves forward. When her daughter-in-law and grandchildren eventually moved away to rebuild, Jacke finally had the quiet space to face her own sorrow.

That space also revealed deeper cracks — her marriage, already fragile, began to crumble.

Her husband, who didn’t share her faith, processed trauma in his own way. Eventually, the marriage ended, adding another layer of loss to an already unbearable story. Through it all, Jacke clung to God — sometimes by a thread, sometimes with both hands.

And that thread of faith became the seed of something new.

From Loss to Ministry

Out of the deepest pain came an unexpected calling. Jacke founded Grieving Moms Finding Hope, a ministry created specifically for mothers who have lost children. Her heart was to make sure no grieving mom ever felt alone.

The ministry stands on four pillars:

• Christ – the foundation of all comfort

• Church – the body that walks beside us

• Community – women who truly understand

• Compassionate care – the daily grace to keep going

Through workbooks, retreats, Zoom meetings, and local groups, Jacke’s ministry now reaches women worldwide.

It’s a space where broken hearts are seen, stories are shared, and hope quietly returns.

“You don’t get over grief — you grow through it. And you don’t walk alone.”

Writing the Redemption Story

Jacke also wrote a book called My Landslide and the Divine Digout, where she opens up about her personal journey and the God who met her in the wreckage.

She clings to God’s promise in Isaiah 43:19:

“See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.”

That verse isn’t just a comfort for her — it’s the heartbeat of her entire ministry because even in the wilderness of grief, God is still making a way.

Hope Has the Final Word

The most impactful part of Jacke’s story isn’t the tragedy — it’s her refusal to let tragedy have the final word. Through faith, community, and compassionate outreach, Jacke turned unimaginable loss into a living testimony of hope. Her ministry, Grieving Moms Finding Hope, is proof that God still brings beauty from ashes and that healing doesn’t mean forgetting, but remembering with purpose.

If you or someone you know is navigating deep grief, Jacke’s story is a reminder that light still breaks through, and you don’t have to face it alone.