Barb Ravling introduces Linda Dillow, an 83-year-old author with decades of wisdom on biblical transformation.
This episode of the Christian Habits Podcast features host Barb Raveling interviewing bestselling author and Bible teacher Linda Dillow. They discuss Dillow's book "Hope for My Hurting Heart," which addresses profound personal grief and loss. Dillow, an 83-year-old mother of four and grandmother of ten, draws from decades of walking with God and includes the experience of having a child who is now deceased.
The conversation centers on the biblical story of Naomi from the Book of Ruth as a primary framework for understanding suffering. Dillow explains she wrote the book after observing many Christians struggling with deep, lingering heartache that typical anxiety resources couldn't fully address. She shares that the book was born from her own "painful journey" and a desire to guide others through similar valleys. A key distinction is the book's focus on "heart wounds" rather than general anxiety, aiming to provide specific spiritual comfort for enduring sorrow.
Dillow presents Naomi as a relatable biblical figure who experienced the compound losses of her husband and both sons in a foreign land. She highlights Naomi's raw, honest expression of grief, including Naomi's declaration that God had dealt bitterly with her and left her empty. The insightful perspective offered is that God remained faithfully at work in Naomi's life even when she could not perceive it, ultimately redeeming her story through Ruth. Dillow emphasizes that healing is a process where one must choose to "walk toward hope" despite the pain.
A memorable moment is Dillow's personal reflection on learning to trust God's character and promises during her own seasons of suffering. She suggests that true hope is found not in the absence of pain but in anchoring oneself to God's unchanging nature. The episode provides the specific, practical encouragement that individuals can lament honestly before God while still holding onto faith.
The tone is gentle, pastoral, and deeply conversational, reflecting a teacher-student dynamic filled with personal warmth. The style is educational and testimony-based, weaving scripture with lived experience to offer spiritual counsel. Listeners seeking biblical comfort for grief, loss, or long-term heartache will find this episode particularly meaningful. Those unfamiliar with Christian teachings or looking for secular psychological approaches to healing may find the content less applicable.
