What do you do when grief rocks your world and you don’t know what to do?
For Ellen, it was to bake. Once a Camp Mystic camper, she didn’t just bake any recipe—she baked the camp’s famous Tweety Cookies. She took them to first responders, her friends raising money, her loved ones, and the doctors and nurses at the hospital as she was bringing a baby into the world.

Right now, many of us are grieving—grieving the tragic events of the floods, the loss of life, failed marriages, fractured friendships, job losses, a wayward child. The list is endless. But grief is something we all have in common.

We will all face heartache and disappointment at some point in our lives. But we have each other. Ellen’s story—baking a batch of cookies right before going into labor—is a reminder that we can all do something to let someone, even a stranger, know: hey—we’re in this together.

Here is the full Tweety Cookie Recipe:

Ingredients

2 sticks butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups Quaker Oats (old fashioned)
6 oz package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Cream margarine and sugars by hand. Add eggs and mix. Add oatmeal, chocolate chips and vanilla extract. Mix until well blended. Bake for 8 minutes. They will still be gooey. Enjoy!

Walking through divorce was a kind of grief I had never known. I’ll never forget the feeling of just wanting to stay in bed, day after day.

One friend kept calling. Sometimes I declined the calls, but she never gave up. She kept reaching out—calling, texting, inviting me over—even when I didn’t respond.

People say time heals everything. I think that’s partly true. But more than time, God heals. He heals when we surrender our pain to Him.

I’m so thankful for His kindness that held me through my darkest days—and for the friends He sent who refused to let me walk through it alone.

The Bible says it beautifully in Romans 12:15:

“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.”

And I’d also like to add: “Eat cookies with those eating cookies.”

If you’re grieving an unimaginable loss, please know, healing is possible.

Life may never be the same, and you may not feel the same—but nothing we walk through is a surprise to God.

If you’re angry with Him, I understand. I’ve been there too. I’ve shouted at the sky and cried out, Why? And you know what? God can handle it.

In my experience, even in my rawest moments, He met me with gentleness. He didn’t turn away. He stayed. Because He’s not just God, He’s a good Father. He sees. He knows. And He cares. Let Him help you.

So what does letting God help you through grief look like? For me, it was going to church, joining a Bible study (I actually joined two), reading the Bible, listening to worship music, going to the gym, crying out to God when the pain was unbearable, and doing what I knew was right.

Grief can be a dangerous time because you’ll want to look for ways to cope, and sometimes those choices only make things worse. Instead of coping in unhealthy ways, I found ways to serve others.

Letting God into my grief didn’t erase the pain—but it did carry me through. And I know, He’ll carry you too.

One of my favorite verses is Psalm 34:18:
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

God is close to you, even now. Trust Him with your heartache, and let Him heal you like only He can.

Love,

Your friend,

Reyna

Listen to Ellen's Story Here: