Lessons Learned Reflecting on Pain, Loss, Gratitude, and Joy with Dr. Dan Bolin

Michael Easley inContext

Summary:

In this episode, Michael Easley sits down with Dan Bolin to share a deeply personal story of loss, faith, and enduring hope. Dan recounts the journey of his daughter’s leukemia diagnosis, years of treatments, and the heartbreaking day she passed away. Through his family’s story, we see the raw reality of grief—anniversaries that reopen wounds, moments when well-meaning friends don’t know what to say, and the quiet ways God’s grace holds us together.

Dan reflects on how seasons of calm prepare us for storms, how couples grieve differently, and how the support of a close-knit community makes survival possible. He draws comfort from Scripture—passages like 1 Peter 1 and Habakkuk—that remind believers suffering is temporary and refining, and that ultimate joy awaits in Christ.

For anyone walking through loss or coming alongside someone who is, Dan’s story offers perspective: grief is real, storms are fierce, but God’s promises remain steady.

Takeaways:

• Anniversaries of loss often resurface deep grief.
• Prepare for storms in calm seasons by leaning into God and community.
• Trusted friends who simply show up can be life-giving in crisis.
• Couples grieve differently and need grace for each other’s process.
• Scripture reframes suffering as refining, not meaningless.
• True hope looks beyond this life to eternity with Christ.

Links Mentioned:

October Storm by Dr. Dan Bolin

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