Many of us have been impacted by the loss of a loved one in the recent past.  Losing someone important to us changes our lives.  It’s not something that we get over quickly, if ever.  I’ve been on a mission to learn more about grief because of my own journey and because so many of my friends and colleagues are dealing with grief.  Below are some things I have learned, or have had confirmed from the GriefShare website:

• Grief is not an enemy or a sign of weakness. It is a sign of being human. Grief is the cost of loving someone.
• “Some people think that going through the losses or crises of life are the exceptional times,” says Dr. H. Norman Wright. “I see it differently. I see the times of calm as the exceptions. Life really is going through one loss after another, one crisis after another.”
• Joseph Stowell says, “Even though your heart is breaking and tears are clouding your eyes and staining your cheeks, God does give us something worth trusting in tough times. And that’s Him, and Him alone.”
• When your heart is breaking, you can place your hope and trust in the Lord. “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.” (Psalm 31:24).
• Anne Graham Lotz defines hope: “Biblical hope is absolute confidence in something you haven’t seen or received yet, but you’re absolutely confident that whatever God has said is going to come to pass.” She also declares that “Jesus is your hope for the future. One day Jesus Christ will come back, and He will set all of the wrong right. Good will triumph over the bad. Love will triumph over hate. Righteousness will triumph over evil. He’s going to make it all right, and you can have absolute confidence that that’s going to take place. That’s your hope.”

“But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31).

 Lord God, teach me to embrace my grief and not fight it, so that I may experience the true healing that comes from You.  Amen.

Blessings,

Judy