Rusty and I first met back in 1998 when I moved home and he was dating my mother. Their relationship didn’t last, but our friendship sure did. In fact, Rusty was with me the night I got what would be my last DUI; needless to say, my mom was not too happy. Fast forward 25 years, and today Rusty is a deacon at Carrollwood Baptist Church. He’s my “God guy.”

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Back in 2011, life was going well. We planned a bucket-list trip to Green Bay to watch the Bucs take on the Packers. Rusty’s son, Ryan, joined us, and in a stadium of 60,000 people, Ryan happened to run into a childhood friend he hadn’t seen in 20 years. God works in mysterious ways.

It was a great trip, but little did we know how meaningful that moment would become. Just five years later, Ryan passed away, and the hard part began. Losing a child is something no parent should ever face—it puts you into a group that no one wants to be a member of.

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Through all the pain, Rusty found the strength to help others. He started a grief share group at his church, giving hope and healing to families who had experienced the same unimaginable loss. From tragedy came triumph.

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If you or someone you know is dealing with loss, I encourage you to visit GriefShare.org to find a support group near you.