177: Meeting God on the Bathroom Floor - Amber Smith on Faith, Hope, and Life After Loss

The Best of You

Dr. Alison Cook

Mental Health, Health & Fitness

4.9 • 959 Ratings

🗓️ 25 September 2025

⏱️ 32 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Where do you turn when heartache threatens to take over your whole life? This week, Dr Alison is joined by Amber Smith to talk about her journey from crushing grief to quiet, hard-won hope. Many of you know part of her story: the unthinkable loss of her three-year-old son, River, in 2019. Together, they talk about the raw reality of grief; how faith can be both anchor and wrestle, how a marriage can survive when each person’s pain looks different, and why welcoming joy again is not a betrayal of what you’ve lost. If you’ve ever faced heartbreak or walked alongside someone in deep pain, this conversation will meet you right where you are - whether you’re on your own bathroom floor or standing beside someone who is. In this episode, we explore: Amber’s story of losing her son, River, and the spiritual transformation that followed The “before and after” shift that tragedy brings to faith and identity How she and her husband, Granger Smith, fought for their marriage Why grief can quietly become an idol How holding space for grief can bring a family closer This episode blends honesty, tenderness, and practical wisdom, exploring what it means to choose life and love while discovering God’s presence in moments when hope feels distant. 📥 Grab your 3 free Boundaries For Your Soul resources here 📥 Download Alison’s free printable with the five boundary tools when you sign up for her weekly email. 📚 Find Amber’s Book here: The Girl on the Bathroom Floor by Amber Smith Other episodes you might like : Episode 76: Finding the Faith & Strength to Move Forward after Loss & Heartache With Granger Smith Episode 133: From Feeling Numb to Meaning-Making — Navigating the 6 Stages of Grief 📖 Find a full transcript and list of resources from this episode here 💬 Got a question? Call 307-429-2525 and leave a message for a future episode. Thanks to our Sponsors! Go to ⁠Quince.com/bestofyou⁠ for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order!. If you’re looking for a Bible that helps you live the Word, not just read it, then grab this beautiful one I’m currently using at NIVapplicationbible.com. Give online therapy a try and see how it can help you become more present, more aware, and more connected to the life you want to live. Visit BetterHelp.com/BESTOFYOU. *Some of the links above are Amazon affiliate links. If you choose to purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Music by Andy Luiten While Dr. Cook is a counselor, the content of this podcast and any of the products provided by Dr. Cook are not specific counseling advice nor are they a substitute for individual counseling. The content and products provided on this podcast are for informational purposes only.‍ © 2025 Alison Cook. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Please do not copy or share the contents of this webpage or transcript without permission from the author. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey everyone, I'm Dr. Allison, and I'm so glad you're here to discover what brings out the best of you.
0:11.7	This podcast is all about breaking free from painful patterns, mending the past and discovering our true selves in God.
0:19.7	I can't wait to get started as we learn together
0:22.0	how to become the best version of who we are with God's help.
0:28.3	Hey, everyone, and welcome back to this week's episode of The Best of You. I'm so glad you're
0:33.5	here with me today for this incredibly powerful and vulnerable. We get really candid in this
0:40.2	conversation with my guest, Amber Smith. Many of you know part of Amber and her husband Granger
0:47.8	Smith's story, the unthinkable loss of their three-year-old son River back in 2019. And if you want more of that
0:55.9	backstory from Granger's perspective, be sure to go back and listen to my earlier conversation
1:01.0	with him. It was episode 76, and we'll link to that in the show notes. Amber is here today to
1:07.3	share her side of the story, which she's writing about in her brand new book.
1:11.1	It's called The Girl on the Bathroom Floor, held together when everything is falling apart.
1:17.5	It comes out in just a couple of weeks, and it's just such a raw and unflinching look at those
1:23.3	moments where pain, fear, and grief seem to hit the hardest. Sometimes they're behind closed
1:29.2	doors. They're in your car hidden in your closet or in Amber's case. It's on the bathroom floor.
1:36.0	And the book is also hopeful. I mean, amidst unspeakable loss, somehow Amber was able to honor the pain while keeping her faith and her hope
1:50.2	alive and the promise that no matter where you are, you are held by a God who grieves with you
1:57.2	and offers you a way through suffering. In today's conversation, Amber and I talk about
2:03.3	what life looked like before and after, Rivers' death, and how her faith transformed in the
2:09.8	aftermath, how she and Granger chose each other in the midst of the grief, and the very practical
2:16.4	ways they held on to their marriage
2:17.9	when pain looked different for each of them, the faith practices that anchored her and her
	...

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