Gary Chapman - Holding on to Love After Youve Lost a Baby: The 5 Love Languages® for Grieving Parents

The kind of relational stress that a couple goes through after losing a child can be ugly and plain violent. The pain is raw, the wounds are open, and loving each other through the tragedy can almost feel impossible. The words Candy and Dr. Chapman have written are incredibly compassionate and kindyou will find genuinely helpful advice, stories, and resources. Im in awe of the beauty that has come from such a devastating loss, and Im thankful to be a witness to the legacy of love on these pages and words.

JETTY RAE

Singer-songwriter

Losing a baby has been one of the most painful things that I have ever gone through. Candys and Garys book, Holding On to Love After Youve Lost a Baby, brings comfort and encouragement to grieving parents and gives insight into whats most helpful for friends of the grieving parents. The pages are filled with hope from those who have walked through the valley of losing a child.

MICHELLE DUGGAR

Mother of 19 children here on earth and in loving memory of our 2 babies in heaven, Caleb and Jubilee

Losing a child is an unspeakable loss. Instead of holding your little one in your arms you have suddenly become part of a club no one would ever want to join. How do you navigate the pain? How does your marriage survive such grief? Candy has been there, and in this book she will tenderly walk you down a path to healing, hope, and love.

SHEILA WALSH

Author of Praying Women and Its Okay Not to Be Okay

As a pastor, Ive walked many families through the process of grief. However, as a dad I had no idea how to face it for myself. It is hard to fathom, but my wife and I have gone through sixteen pregnancies in total, resulting in eight healthy children and eight waiting for us in heaven. Each time there was grief. Each time required facing fear. And each time Gods miraculous love brought healing. As I turned the pages of Holding On to Love After Youve Lost a Baby, I experienced the healing grace of the Lord. I highly recommend this book. Consider resourcing your church, counseling ministry, and moms groups with copies of Holding on to Love after Youve Lost a Baby to have on hand to gift to people grieving.

JAMEY VANGELDER

Senior Pastor of The House Church

As parents who have experienced the loss of two children, we wholeheartedly recommend reading Holding On to Love After Youve Lost a Baby. It is a great resource for parents walking through child loss and for friends and family walking along with them. Holding on to love after youve lost a baby is difficult, and this book reminds you that youre not alone, youre seen, and that healing doesnt mean forgetting your precious child. Remembering always, our boys, Dobbs and Reed.

GENTRY AND HADLEY EDDINGS

Bereaved parents, pastor at Forest Hill Church

Grief speaks a language all its own and this book provides one of the most thoughtful and compassionate approaches to ministering to those who are grieving. Holding On to Love After Youve Lost a Baby is a book you will pick up time after time as you walk with people through their darkest days and guide them to that Light at the end of the tunnel.

JENTEZEN FRANKLIN

Senior Pastor, Free Chapel, New York Times bestselling author

As a parent and grandparent myself, I know that the loss of a child is the parents greatest fear. The force of this fear must be met with an even greater force of love to endure such tremendous loss. Candy McVicars insightful story and Gary Chapmans wisdom are a perfect combination. The strategic blend these two bring is how we as couples, families, and communities increase the experience of healing love and chase away crippling fear. There are few resources that I have found to be this succinct and powerful for the person who grieves.

DANNY SILK

President of Loving on Purpose
Author of Keep Your Love On and Unpunishable

What an incredible book! This is a book that everyone needs to read, whether you have experienced loss or not. I have been inspired reading how Candy and Stephen selflessly give away what they learned through the trauma of stillbirth and miscarriage, which translates that many thousands are being helped in their journey too. This book is a wonderful and significant resource for grieving parents and a brilliant help for those who want to help family or friends who suffer loss. Read it and let it reach the depths of your heart, soul, mind, and body, because as you do, hope will begin to arise.

NANCY GOUDIE

Author, motivational speaker, founder of Spiritual Health Weekends, and cofounder of ngm and The Inspire Arts Trust

Holding On to Love After Youve Lost a Baby is a gift to every parent who has experienced the worst kind of loss and the church leaders and friends called to come alongside. Having been on both sides of this dark valley, as a pastor and having lost our first child, Michael, in stillbirth, I can say from personal experience how valuable this book will be to the thousands of moms and dads silently grieving as well as those nearest to them who are searching for ways to love them through it.

RICH ROGERS

Director of Strategic Outreach and Editorial Director, Free Chapel

Candy and Gary have taken on an important and much-needed conversation with this book. I know first-hand the pain of losing multiple pregnancies to miscarriage; it can feel so difficult, isolating, and hopeless. Knowing how to navigate this journey with love will be a gift to so many.

MARIANNE RICHMOND

Bestselling author

What a refreshing truth to help bring healing to hurt! This is a book that should be read by every pastor, teacher, counselor, doctor, mother, and friend. Though I have raised 19 beautiful children, my heart still often feels the loss of our four miscarried babies that are in heaven. No one prepared me for the months of tears and the emptiness that I felt. Though amidst an army of loving family and friends, there was still a loneliness that gripped my heart. How I wish this book had been available those many years ago! What a joy and encouragement it has been to read it now. When the unthinkable happensthe loss of a childour world turns upside down! Candy McVicar and Gary Chapman walk us through the challenges, the emotions, and even the relational issues that accompany this unexpected and devastating loss. Now there is hope for the hurting mom or dad, for the grieving friends and family who want to comfort but feel so helpless. I know this book will be a welcomed and treasured source of wisdom as you journey through this storm or as you help someone else through this painful road toward healing.

KELLY JO BATES

Mother to 4 precious babies in heaven and 19 wonderful children
Kelly, her husband Gil, and their family appear on the Bringing Up Bates reality TV show

2020 by GARY CHAPMAN AND CANDY MCVICAR

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright 2000, 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.