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The Unfolding

Dennis and Dawn Ritter Part 2: When Faith Faces Loss: A Family Finds Hope After Saying Goodbye: Page 273

The Unfolding

Northwestern Media

Christianity, Religion & Spirituality

4.9867 Ratings

🗓️ 13 March 2026

⏱️ 62 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

 

Dennis Ritter spent decades battling heart disease, living with the knowledge that his time might be shorter than most.  But suffering didn't make him bitter. It deepened his faith. When Dennis' health declined, his family gathered to say goodbye. In this deeply moving episode of The Unfolding, Dawn Ritter and her children, Ben and Karen, share the story of Dennis' final days, the legacy of faith he left behind, and the hope that carries them through heartbreaking loss. They talk honestly about grief, unanswered prayers for healing, and why their faith in God remained steady even when the miracle they asked for didn't come.  Because sometimes God doesn't remove the suffering. Sometimes He meets us in it.  

Show Notes:  

Books: 

Every Moment Holy Vol. 2 Death, Grief, and Hope  https://www.amazon.com/Every-Moment-Holy-II-Hardcover/dp/1951872053 

  

  

  

  

Walking with God through Pain and Suffering   https://www.amazon.com/Walking-God-through-Pain-Suffering/dp/1594634408 

  

Podcasts: 

The Widowed Mom Podcast by Krista St. Germain - https://www.coachingwithkrista.com/podcast/ 

  

The Widow Coach Podcast by Karen Sutton.  https://www.karensutton.co.uk/podcasts/the-widow-podcast 

  

A Widow's Heart Podcast with Pam Lundell 

  

Website:  

Never Alone Widows - a nationwide ministry to widows.  https://www.neveralonewidows.com/ 

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Page 273 of the unfolding is the story of Dennis, Don, Ben, and Karen Ritter.

0:07.5

The call came right before I boarded.

0:09.6

I had the chance to FaceTime with Dad in the hospital, landed just in enough time to make that agonizingly long drive.

0:18.0

As I was getting updates about Dad. Dad was hanging on for me.

0:22.9

God's story has been unfolding.

0:26.2

Since the beginning of time.

0:29.4

He invites you to be a part of it.

0:34.9

Another page in the unfolding.

0:38.1

Hey, this is Meredith Foster.

0:40.2

For most of us, we spend our days avoiding the topic of death.

0:44.3

We don't want to think about it until the day we're forced to.

0:47.7

But today, I want to invite you to pause that instinct for just a moment and listen to a story that might change the way you think

0:55.3

about saying goodbye to the people you love. Because the truth is, every one of us will come to the

1:01.0

end of our days on this earth. And many of us will one day walk alongside someone we love

1:06.8

in their final days. How do you walk that road well? This is a story about that. Dennis and Don

1:13.7

Ritter shared the first part of their story in last week's episode. If you haven't heard it,

1:18.3

I recommend going back and listening to that story first. It's page 272 of the unfolding.

1:23.9

This week, we hear the next chapter, and we're joined by Dennis and Don's children

1:28.6

Ben and Karen this is a story about faith about family and about the kind of hope that

1:35.3

can hold you steady even in the most painful moments of life is it a hard story yes

1:42.1

but it's also a beautiful one because Dennis and Dawn's family discovered that even the day

1:48.8

you have to say goodbye for now to someone you love, it can still be filled with love,

...

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