Granger Smith’s Wife Amber Looks at Photos of Son River ‘All the Time’ After His Tragic Death

Granger Smith and his wife, Amber, are still coping with the tragic loss of their 3-year-old son, River, who passed away in June in a drowning accident. The couple has been open about their grief journey, with Amber sharing on social media some of the ways she is learning to deal with the sadness.

“I’ve been digging in and putting all of my trust in God to carry me through,” Amber shared on Instagram, along with a series of photos. “My heart has been broken open like never before, but that also means it’s been opened to love, feel, and grow more than ever before as well. I believe in God’s promises and the truth. I believe things are set in motion years before we see them. People are sent to us, we have visions or dreams, occasions occur all before we even have a clue about what is going on.

“God prepares our hearts without us knowing anything about it,” she added. “I’m not saying He causes things to happen, but He knows, He allows, and He’s there holding us when we can’t walk.”

In one of the photos, Amber showed a few signs she made, including one that said, “God has you in the palm of His hand,” signs she made long before River passed away, but she now sees as a preparation for the heartache she would endure.

“I believe in signs, though [God] doesn’t need to send them, I’m so grateful he does!” Amber wrote. “I’ve shared some of the signs I’ve seen with you guys and wanted to share something else I saw yesterday. I was looking at photos of Riv, which I do allll the time. It helps me feel closer to him. I came across this one of some signs I made probably 2 years ago. Riv was sitting on them and I wanted to re-read the verses.

“Some people may say this is just a coincidence, but for believers, there are no coincidences,” she continued. “I think this was God reminding me of his promises. It was something I was meant to see and the comfort it brought me was palpable.”

River drowned in the family swimming pool while Smith and Amber and River, along with their older children London and Lincoln, were playing outside. River’s organs were donated after his death, and the family donated more than $218,000 donated more than $218,000 to Dell Medical Center, where River was treated.

Photo Credit: Getty images / Rick Kern