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David and Nancy Guthrie are two more Friends I Think You Should Know. In 1998 the Guthries welcomed a new baby, Hope, who was born with the very rare Zellweger Syndrome and lived only seven months. Despite taking medical steps to prevent future pregnancies, the couple again beat the odds and conceived Gabriel who was born in 2001—again, with Zellwegers. He lived six months.

It would be easy to ask why, to question God, and to lose faith in His goodness, and the Guthries have certainly done their share of wrestling. But eight years later they’ve transformed this pain into resources that help others, including the books Holding on to Hope: A pathway through suffering to the heart of God and Hearing Jesus Speak into Your Sorrow.

This past weekend David and Nancy added another tool for grieving parents with their first Respite retreat. Parents from around the country who have lost a child gathered at a retreat center north of Nashville for several days of remembering, sharing, praying, and connecting with others who understand their pain. Many of the attendees wrote the Guthries this week admitting their initial reluctance to participate in the experience and the huge blessing they ended up receiving. “Being in a room with trees as tall as the sky all around us and voices being lifted up to our Lord in worship brought great healing and peace,” said one. “The Lord met us in that place as we shared our painful stories. We could lift our sorrows, our questions, and our hopes to the Father who continues to carry us in these days.”

David and Nancy have been “movers and shakers” in the publishing and music industries, but that’s not why I’m glad to know them or why I want you to. They’re Friends I Think You Should Know because they know God in deep ways and have struggled with questions most of us would rather avoid.

They have four spots open for their next Respite retreat; if you or someone you know is dealing with the loss of a child you can find out more here. And don’t miss the really excellent Time magazine article about their journey that was published July 16, 2001—the day their second child with Zellwegers entered the world.