I Work for God

 Ep. 068 with Christa McDonald

In a gentle, faith‑filled episode of the Good Grief Believer podcast, host Julie Craig listens to Christa McDonald — an RN hospice nurse, founder of GLADD (Grieving Loss After Death and Dying), and author of Eight Lessons the Dying Taught Me.

Chosen by the bedside: a life shaped by early encounters with death

Christa’s vocation began young. At thirteen she volunteered in a hospital as a candy striper, and particular patient rooms — “306” — and patients like Mary stayed with her. Those early visits, the hush of sunlight in a nursing home room, and the shock of witnessing passing shaped her more profoundly than she first understood. She trained as an EMT, worked emergency‑room shifts, and eventually became a hospice nurse. 

By her mid‑20s she carried signs of PTSD from repeated exposure to dying, yet those experiences also rooted her in a calling: to be present, to tend, and to teach others how to journey through loss. For readers looking for “hospice nurse insights” or “what hospice nurses wish families knew,” Christa’s story shows how bedside work forms a wisdom that is both practical and tender.

Presence above all: the simplest lesson the dying teach

Christa says her number‑one lesson from the bedside is simple and life‑changing: presence. More than words, more than tidy platitudes, just being there — holding a hand, sitting in silence, offering a hug — is the deepest ministry we can offer a dying loved one and those who grieve. She watched people die peacefully, whisked away like her patient Mary, and she watched people die in trauma. 

Each death taught her this: how one lives influences how one dies. People who carry anger and unresolved conflict often have harsher, more complicated dying experiences. Her counsel is blunt but tender: live like you’re dying — make amends, tell people you love them, and practice kindness daily.

Grief is long: give yourself a year and find supportive care

Christa pushes back on cultural myths about quick recovery. Grief is not a checklist you finish in a week. She urges people to give themselves a year to move through birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and the ordinary days when grief appears in surprising places. It’s why she founded GLADD — a nonprofit designed to meet the gap after the casseroles stop and the world moves on. 

GLADD’s mission includes a 24/7 bereavement hotline (modeled after crisis lines), online classes with experienced grief coaches, peer groups, and live events. For anyone searching “bereavement hotline,” “online grief support,” or “how to find grief community,” GLADD aims to offer accessible, immediate help so that people aren’t isolated in the raw months after loss.

Practical, tender counsel for families: plan, talk, and show up

Across Christa’s stories are practical steps listeners can use today. First, talk about end‑of‑life wishes while you can — burial vs. cremation, final trips, letters, and financial details — because silence on these issues often fractures families later. Second, show up: if you don’t know what to say, say “I have no words, but I am here,” and offer a hug. Third, create small, meaningful rituals for the dying and grieving — a final trip to the shore, a written letter, music, or a favorite meal. Christa’s example of taking her stepdad to St. Augustine so he could feel the ocean one last time shows how those moments become anchors for healing.

She also encourages grief self‑care: try healing arts like yoga or sound baths to calm the nervous system, join peer groups, and accept concrete help from friends. Practical guidance like this answers common searches such as “how to support someone who is dying” and “self care after loss.”

Signs, continuing bonds, and the comfort of faith

A steady spiritual thread runs through Christa’s work. She’s witnessed thousands of families calling out to God and Jesus at the bedside, and she honors the way faith surfaces when people face mortality. 

Many bereaved people report signs or small confirmations after a loss — dreams, familiar songs, or objects appearing in meaningful ways (Christa’s McDonald’s coffee cup story is a warm example). She treats these not as sensational curiosities but as comforting ways families experience ongoing bonds. For those searching “faith and grief resources” or “signs from loved ones after death,” Christa’s approach blends spiritual assurance with practical grief care.

Preventable loss and the hard truths

Christa’s ER background surfaces difficult realities: some deaths are preventable, and those losses carry complicated guilt. She approaches these cases with candor and compassion: encourage safety (e.g., safe infant sleep practices), seek help when overwhelmed, and avoid harmful self‑blame. 

She reminds listeners that many people’s anger after a loss is actually anger at themselves for not living fully — and grief work often involves learning how to forgive oneself and rebuild with purpose.

GLADD’s mission: a hotline, classes, and a hope to normalize grief care

GLADD (Grieving Loss After Death and Dying) is Christa’s answer to a grief‑avoidant culture. Launching classes and a 24/7 bereavement hotline, GLADD also plans to fund small end‑of‑life miracles for families and to expand grief education. 

Christa dreams of integrating bereavement care into Medicare and normalizing meaningful, ongoing grief support. For people searching “grief nonprofit,” “bereavement resources,” or “how to get help after a death,” GLADD aims to be a concrete, compassionate resource.

Living like you’re dying: the heart of grieving well

Christa’s definition of grieving well is both practical and spiritual: acknowledge your emotions, don’t push them away, and guide your pain into purpose. She urges a daily balance of body, mind, and soul — small practices that steady the nervous system and keep the heart open. Grieving well is a choice and a practice: reach out for help, lean on community, and let your pain shape a life of renewed kindness.

A mother’s closing invitation: reach out and be present

Christa’s voice feels like a friend who has sat with many people through their hardest nights. Her invitation is tender and clear: reach out to neighbors, bring casseroles and stay afterwards, attend to the small moments, and remember that being present matters far more than having the right words. When grief hits unexpectedly — in a Costco aisle or at the sink — having a hotline, a friend, or a community to call makes all the difference.

If you are searching for hospice care tips, bereavement support, or faith‑centered grief resources, Christa McDonald’s life and GLADD offer a hopeful blueprint: show up, name your feelings, create meaningful rituals, and accept help. Grief may be a heavy companion, but it need not be a lonely one. With presence, prayer, and practical care, peace can be found — and a life of love and purpose can continue to grow.