Transforming Grief into Healing: Marcia Earhart's Mission Behind The Sterling Rose Sanctuary

If you have ever gone through grief, or if you know somebody who is suffering through a loss, you'll be glad to meet Marcia Earhart, founder of The Sterling Rose Sanctuary, whose journey through deep personal loss inspired a transformative grief support program for families and individuals worldwide. 💛

In this episode, Marcia Earhart reveals how her faith and purpose-driven healing modalities help people move beyond survival and into genuine joy—even after heartbreak. 

Alongside host Amber Stitt, the conversation dives into practical approaches for grieving and being present, the power of community, and why sometimes “less is more” when supporting loved ones in pain.

Ready to explore hope, healing, and how to incorporate loss into a life that thrives? 

Let’s talk about the real pathway to emotional restoration and living as your creative self, no matter what you’ve been through. 🌹

Listen for actionable insights, heartfelt stories, and inspiration to walk your own healing journey!

📽️ To watch this episode:  https://youtu.be/c7Q-x5aZicw

🔗 To connect with Marcia Earhart: 

📲 Website: https://www.TheSterlingRoseSanctuary.us

📲 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcia-earhart-the-sterling-rose-sanctuary-943a8410b

📲 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesterlingrosesanctuary

#theamberstittshow #marciaearhart #amberstitt #griefandloss #thesterlingrosesanctuary #heartsync #takeactiontoday #amberstittmediacompany 

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📲 Be sure to visit Amber's website:

www.AmberStitt.com

🎬 And remember, let's take action today!!!

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Transcript

Marcia Earhart [00:00:00]:
We're going to grieve. It doesn't matter whether you know Jesus or not, you're going to grieve. But what does that look like with hope? What does that look like with really transformation? And I kind of call grief for me, it's the exchange that I'm bringing my grief in and I'm incorporating certain aspects, but I'm also exchanging to be able to live again, breathe again, move again in the creative design I was meant to be.

Amber Stitt [00:00:26]:
Welcome to The Amber Stitt Show. I'm so happy that you're here. Today we welcome Marcia Earhart to the show today. Welcome, Marcia.

Marcia Earhart [00:00:35]:
Thank you, Amber. It's so good to be with you today.

Amber Stitt [00:00:37]:
With our Pathways community, we talk about focusing on community, and you're doing some beautiful work out there, and I want people to hear all about it and really talk about the Sterling Rose Sanctuary. And did you always work in the nonprofit space, or was this a much-needed program to have for people?

Marcia Earhart [00:00:56]:
I did not, actually. This started after the loss of our first son in 2014. It really came from that, based on the fact there really was not a place. And at the time, Amber, the way it started out was to help families, individuals, and couples who had lost a child, or siblings who had lost siblings, because there wasn't a place for a family to unpack that. And then as 2020 rolled around, the needs were so much greater. Grief, as we know, is magnified in so many areas of our life, not just the loss of a person., and we needed to broaden the scope of being available. So it started as really reaching back to those that were in dire need of a safe space to come and unpack and to be healed and to get some resources and to really be able to come together and tether closer instead of further away from the people that they love and that love them and the communities that they're involved in.

Marcia Earhart [00:02:00]:
Because grief can cause us to isolate and pull away from, and it also can cause our perspective to be very skewed, that we take things personally when something happens. Quite often it's really not personally intended to that person.

Amber Stitt [00:02:17]:
Well, you don't know this about me, but at 10 years old I had lost a brother and he was almost 2 and he was like my little guy because I was the oldest of 7. And you have grief and you have this blackout period. If people talk about this, I don't know in your community, but I've had other people talk about like you kind of lose time and you see people moving around you, but you're there, but you're not.

Marcia Earhart [00:02:39]:
Yes.

Amber Stitt [00:02:39]:
And I remember that kind of like a 2-week period, but I don't have a lot of memories post losing our brother Ben. And there really wasn't anywhere else to go besides maybe church. Back in the '90s.

Marcia Earhart [00:02:51]:
Yeah, it's so unfortunate. And I would love to say that we've come so much further, and sadly I don't think we have. That's why The Sterling Rose Sanctuary felt like it needed to be boots on the ground. I'm very faith-based, I love the Lord, but I feel we have failed even the congregants, of knowing how to suffer well, how to be able to be present with people who are grieving, and that it's okay to grieve and we don't need a platitude. Yes, we're going to grieve. It doesn't matter whether you know Jesus or not, you're going to grieve. But what does that look like with hope? What does that look like with really transformation? And I kind of call grief, for me, it's the exchange that I'm bringing my grief in and I'm incorporating certain aspects, but I'm also exchanging to be able to live again, breathe again, move again in the creative design I was meant to be.

Amber Stitt [00:03:44]:
Well, that's the thing. I think you talk about not just surviving, living post, but just being present in that moment.

Marcia Earhart [00:03:52]:
Yes. But we have two sides of that. The one's for the griever. The other is for those who are with the griever. So the one who's with the griever has to learn how to be present with the griever, not rushing them, but lovingly being really intentional in hearing them and just being present. And then for the griever to understand that the person who's there, they're not going to have the magnitude and the depth and the understanding of what you're going through, because this is very personal. This is your holy ground.

Marcia Earhart [00:04:21]:
It's your experience. But with dialoguing and having open communication and for the griever to be able to share what they're comfortable, then that's able to bring that person in their world a little bit more.

Amber Stitt [00:04:34]:
So you have boots on the ground. Let's talk about if someone were to need to be literally with you in-person, are there only in-person events? Is there working with you remote? How does that work?

Marcia Earhart [00:04:45]:
I work with people all over the US on the phone and in 6 countries. If you need me, I can be there. We actually have flown to be with people when news was being given to them, or they have found out certain devastating news and they really wanted someone to come and be present, to be supportive, to kind of walk through some things to help them manage. So we have all sides of that. And part of the sanctuary is a modality called "heart healing", where we really work with the griever and those that are impacted by the losses that they are enduring to have healing of those fractured parts. Amber, because as you know from your own experience, there's some fractured parts because what you're telling me, that memory stopped. And so there's healing that has to happen in order for it to be unblocked and to be open to receive and to be able to remember. I've had so many people that have come in that they have blackout periods of their life, and so we go in and we have healing, and it's just amazing the redemption that happens.

Marcia Earhart [00:05:53]:
And if someone's like, "Well, maybe I don't want to remember." So this is how we go: whatever you need to remember, that the Lord would restore, but that which doesn't need to be, that he would protect that and that he would keep that safely with him.

Amber Stitt [00:06:08]:
That's an interesting point because I feel that a lot of people want— if there's, say, emotions. So let's not say trauma or healing, yet, but just emotions. I think some people recognize and have that awareness that emotions are important. And what is that telling us? Are we needing to have a conversation? Is it we're not feeling right because we're not healthy? There's something going on internally. Systematically. I think sometimes people want to kind of squash the emotions and not feel it. And I feel like, is there something similar in the healing process where people are like, "No, let's move forward, let's not go back," that they want to be more dismissive? Is there some challenges there sometimes?

Marcia Earhart [00:06:44]:
That's a part you're talking about. It's called function: fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. Our function is the one that goes, "Okay, enough, we're done, we're good, back to work."

Marcia Earhart [00:06:54]:
We're just compartmentalizing. We need to move on. But what happens is when function steps in and it is a part. It's a heart part. It's also what gets us where we need to go. But the unhealthy aspect of it is it's not in tune with your emotions.

Amber Stitt [00:07:09]:
That's good, right?

Marcia Earhart [00:07:10]:
No, because if it's not in tune with your emotions, then it doesn't know it needs healing.

Amber Stitt [00:07:15]:
Got it.

Marcia Earhart [00:07:16]:
What's happening is now that emotion that's not able to really be dealt with and really come out safely is now going into the body where the body's keeping the score of that painful emotion. So that's why we don't want people walking around in fight, flight, freeze, or fawn, because it's okay in a temporary moment that you step into action and you do something. However, it needs to be so temporary you return back into the presence of the Lord. You return back into the presence where, if I have anger and I can't return to joy, that anger is going to continue to trigger me. If I've got sorrow, if I've got unworthiness and is preventing me from turning back to joy, then that's going to ruminate in my mind. It's how I think, what I say, and it's going to start impacting my body, the parts within my body.

Marcia Earhart [00:08:07]:
So we deal with the whole person when they come to us, mind, words, soul, spirit. Can't separate it because it's all working together. We've got to have it synchronize and work so that the healing is transformative for you to be able to process. And we call them the negative emotions because why do we call them negative emotions? Because it's any emotion that keeps you from returning to a state of joy and immediacy. We're not talking about fake it till you make it joy. We're talking real abiding joy. And there's a difference. And so function can allow for faking because function wants to keep on going.

Marcia Earhart [00:08:49]:
The function puts the face on, "Yeah, we're good, we're good. All things are going well."

Amber Stitt [00:08:54]:
I might still have some function, functionality going on.

Marcia Earhart [00:08:58]:
A lot of people do that function because you know what function says, "Well, I've read it, this is what needs to happen, so we're just going to do that," ignoring emotion.

Amber Stitt [00:09:06]:
So do you think high achievers are ones you gotta snap us into shape a little bit?

Marcia Earhart [00:09:10]:
You mean that Type A? Absolutely, girl.

Amber Stitt [00:09:13]:
Yes. Thank you for tuning in to The Amber Stitt Show. Please give us a "like" and subscribe to the channel if you enjoy what we do. Your support goes a long way towards helping us bring you more compelling content. Remember, let's take action together! Now let's jump back into the conversation.

Amber Stitt [00:09:35]:
I had a conversation the other day. I work in insurance and we're talking through an offer that didn't go well medically. The person had some things going on. And her tone was really low. So I'm like, "Okay, she's maybe upset about the insurance offer." But what she shared with me is that her daughter's sick. She's got cancer and they're in therapy, or treatment. In that circumstance, do you have in your work ways to help people have dialogue, not the, "I'm sorry for you."?

Amber Stitt [00:10:01]:
I think back when people are like, "Oh, your brother passed away, I'm so sorry." And it's like, "No, it's not okay." But it's a weird thing people wanna feel okay and it's not awkward. So I shared, "Thank you for sharing," but I had to keep it kind of surface level. I didn't wanna go too deep. I don't want to make her upset, but does your work ever help people with these types of dialogues for the people that are just dealing with some life?

Marcia Earhart [00:10:22]:
Well, we do, because we all need verbiage in those spaces, but we also need healthy dialogue. And everyone comes in with a different schema. So when someone I know has experienced a passing, I don't ask them, "How are they?" I'll say, "On a scale of 1 to 5 today, where are you?"

Amber Stitt [00:10:43]:
That's okay. That's good.

Marcia Earhart [00:10:45]:
Why? Because life sucks. I'm sorry. You just lost somebody. I mean, I'm just being honest. Don't ask somebody how they are, people. They're not doing well. At most, they're surviving. "Okay, so on a scale of 1 to 5 today, where are you?" And the next question, if they answer, "Is there a particular way that I could minister to you? And if not, then I just want to be present with you if I can."

Marcia Earhart [00:11:08]:
And that's what I offer. So yes, we do dialogue. I actually had a client who started seeing me and she ended up being diagnosed with 4 different cancers and she stayed in the presence of coming and heart syncing so that she could process her dying. And so it gave her the ability to release, to have content and context in that space, the ability to be able to receive what she needed and to have the support.

Amber Stitt [00:11:38]:
There was no accident about this, I don't think.

Marcia Earhart [00:11:41]:
Never is. So we all need that. And to me, again, there was so much beauty in that space watching her when we would get together on the phone. And I didn't see her. I did meet with her often in-person, and then I moved, and we continued on the phone. But she had such peace because she was able to express her fears.

Marcia Earhart [00:12:08]:
She was a believer, so she was in the presence talking to the Lord and he was assuring her and giving her what she needed. Everybody can have that. That's what we want for everyone to experience in their pain.

Amber Stitt [00:12:24]:
I think if we had a takeaway as we go into our day, if you can sense that someone else is in a 5, and 5 being the worst, that it's almost like more silence and just saying, "I'm here for you." We kind of cut out the rest. You don't need to say really anything specific. That could be just one way to incorporate that.

Marcia Earhart [00:12:45]:
Less is more. Absolutely. People do not need to hear you talking because there's a lot going on in their head. I want to tell everyone one of the things that ministered, and it's going to be really odd, but I think this really shows where a griever just needs some normalcy sometimes. So this was a few weeks after our son had passed. And I just, you know, I'm feeling the loss. We were very close. And a friend called and she goes, "I'm going to Target and I'm coming by to pick you up."

Marcia Earhart [00:13:14]:
And she said, "You can't say no. I just want you to go with me." We went to Target. We didn't talk about anything else. We went to Target. She had a mission. It really was a place of normalcy.

Marcia Earhart [00:13:28]:
Even though it may seem out of context because someone's grieving, it made it okay. And she was present, just her presence and taking me with her and not giving me an option, "I'm coming to get you." We just need to be that kind of intentional person sometimes. We don't need to fill the space, don't need to ask the million questions, don't need to unpack it all. Just be present. And less is best.

Amber Stitt [00:13:54]:
If people wanted to work with you, how should they reach out and connect with you?

Marcia Earhart [00:13:58]:
They can go on our website, www.TheSterlingRoseSanctuary.us and we pray that if anybody especially feels overwhelmed with grief, with sadness, with anger, with resentment, anything, that they reach out because we really want to walk them into that healing and for them to breathe and move and live again the way they were created to do. Grief should never have the last say.

Amber Stitt [00:14:27]:
Oh, I like that. Do you have a special story behind the name of The Sterling Rose?

Marcia Earhart [00:14:32]:
Sterling was our son. The rose...and it's very interesting because the Lord actually gave us the name of The Sterling Rose Sanctuary. Now, the rose was our son's favorite flower, and he would make origami roses and hand them out to people. He had just this magnanimous love for others and just a very captivating spirit. And so he was very well-loved. But the Lord said, "Marcia, you can't have the rose without the thorns." And so in the sanctuary, we actually— and we're raising funds, Amber, to get a place for people.

Marcia Earhart [00:15:06]:
And we do this when we work with people, but we unpack the thorns that prevent you from appreciating each petal on that rose. So the rose incorporates the appreciation the beauty and the fragrance even amidst the thorns.

Amber Stitt [00:15:21]:
You are so lovely. Thank you for sharing all of that. What location do you hope to have?

Marcia Earhart [00:15:26]:
We hope to have it around Deland, Florida, because things bloom year-round in Florida. And when people are grieving, they need some light surrounded, some greenery, some water, some beauty infused. And we cannot wait until our feet touch that ground. And we look forward to it bringing even more healing because, "Why a place?" And I want to answer, why a place. And it's only for an individual, couple, or family because many of the people we deal with are still living in their trigger trauma. So they need a reset and they need to come to a place where 3 to 5 days they can have that reset with some rest, the ability to get some resources, to be able to have the experience of walking those grounds, of really getting connected with nature again. And getting away from all distractions, having clean eating, because we don't eat well when we are not in a good state.

Marcia Earhart [00:16:26]:
So they will eat well because they're not going to have any carbs and sugars. They're going to be eating so that their body also gets to reset. So we're talking about a mental, physical, emotional, spiritual reset.

Amber Stitt [00:16:39]:
Well, let's get you that place, through the work.

Marcia Earhart [00:16:42]:
Yes, we love it.

Amber Stitt [00:16:43]:
Thank you so much for being here today.

Marcia Earhart [00:16:45]:
Well, thank you, Amber. And you know what? Thank you for sharing your story. That's a hard story.

Amber Stitt [00:16:49]:
I wasn't expecting to.

Marcia Earhart [00:16:51]:
Well, I want everyone to know losing a sibling, there's a magnitude to losing a sibling even beyond a parent's loss, because the sibling should be here after your parents are gone. And as a parent, that has been probably one of the harder parts of losing my child is that my children have lost their best friend.

Amber Stitt [00:17:10]:
A couple of weeks back, I was on a panel about the why I'm in the business that I'm in, and it took a while. I don't bring up my brother a lot because again, people don't know how to handle the other side. And then it gets kind of interesting and they feel bad. I don't want them to feel bad for me, but I've started to share that and people go, "Thank you for sharing." So these stories to then help others unpack the thorns, I think that's what you're saying here. So thanks for letting me share that. A lot of my clients don't know, my friends. So this is just the beginning, sounds like.

Marcia Earhart [00:17:38]:
Well, I think it is because it does open up for others to know, "Wow, she's experienced that and yet she's thriving in her life. But there's a loss that still will go with her." Because I do believe we get healed. But you've incorporated that so beautifully, honey. It's very present in you. He's with you because you have incorporated him in your life.

Amber Stitt [00:18:01]:
Well, we will make sure everyone can find you in the description box. Thank you so much for sharing. You're on other podcasts too, so your story is out there. And I love the work that you're doing. So thank you so much.

Marcia Earhart [00:18:13]:
Thank you, Amber. I apprecaite it.

Amber Stitt [00:18:15]:
Thank you for joining us for this episode of The Amber Stitt Show. Please check out the podcast page at: AmberStitt.com for more episodes and content like this. Until next time, keep taking action on your unique path!