Hope After Suicide Loss: Jackie Baker’s Grief Journey

Send me a text and let me know your thoughts! What happens when grief changes everything? In this heartfelt episode, Jackie Baker joins Jan Johnson to talk about losing her son Sebastian to suicide and the long road of learning how to live again. Jackie shares the realities of traumatic grief, the stigma surrounding suicide loss, the pressure grieving parents often feel, and how her faith carried her through years of sorrow. Together they discuss lament, identity, marriage, unanswered prayers, and why healing is not about forgetting. Jackie’s new book, Messy Mourning , offers hope and practical support for grieving mothers and those who love them. This conversation is compassionate, honest, and deeply healing. Jackie Baker and Angie Clayton: Walking Beside the Broken-Hearted https://www.buzzsprout.com/2356821/episodes/15946737 Adoption: Real-Life Stories Navigating Love, Loss and Reunion https://www.buzzsprout.com/2356821/episodes/15904450 The Complexity of Grief: I Thought God had Abandoned Me https://www.buzzsprout.com/2356821/episodes/17271183 Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 40:1–2 “He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” Isaiah 43:2 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you… when you walk through the fire, you will not be burned.” 00:00 – Introducing Jackie Baker and Messy Mourning 02:20 – Sebastian’s story and the beginning of grief 03:30 – Why suicide loss feels different 05:20 – The “if only” spiral and guilt 06:00 – What grieving people actually need 08:00 – Faith, suffering, and unanswered questions 09:30 – Walking through grief with God 10:45 – How each family member grieved differently 13:45 – Trusting God after devastating loss 15:20 – Scripture, lament, and surviving day by day 17:50 – What Jackie hopes grieving mothers will know 20:50 – Holidays, anniversaries, and grief triggers 22:00 – The tsunami metaphor for grief 23:20 – When grief becomes identity 25:50 – Resources and companion tools for the book 27:00 – Surviving the “firsts” after loss 28:45 – Creating meaningful anniversary traditions 30:40 – Jackie’s Substack and writing about grief 32:00 – Finding laughter and sweetness again Welcome to Just Talkin' About Jesus. I'm Jan Johnson, a seasoned believer who loves relationships and, you know, just talkin' about Jesus. Here you will find testimonies of those who God has changed through his grace. Stories of feeling unworthy because of being sex trafficked, or of radical redemption of a woman who grew up with abuse, neglect, abandonment and drugs. A story of an abortion survivor. This and more. Lean in now. Consider subscribing to this podcast, YouTube and Substack- all with the same name: Just Talkin' About Jesus! https://www.youtube.com/@JustTalkinAboutJesus https://jan-johnson.com/ https://justtalkingaboutjesus.com/ https://janjohnsonauthor.substack.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@JustTalkinAboutJesus Thanks for listening! If you have a story to tell, check out the form on my website- justtalkingaboutjesus.com. I'd love to connect with you! No, really.... hit me up!