When our
feelings threaten to overwhelm us and their intensity frightens us, grieving
them will help us to cope in healthy ways. To receive healing it is necessary
to face our grief and to actively surrender it to God. Trying to ignore our
pain only makes it worse. Our Inner Child will find a way to interject our
heart-felt feelings into our day at the most inopportune times. Feeling sad, frightened, or lonely is normal.
Showing our true feelings can help others to grieve as well.
Everyone grieves
differently. We all have our own unique personality and needs, which color our
grief process. Some take longer than others to grieve. We never fully recover
from grief. Familiar places and aspects of life will trigger our grief,
sometimes at the most unexpected moments. Holidays, a special song, a child, a
Bible passage, a piece of clothing, a facial expression, a motto, and many
other experiences may trigger our feelings of grief all over again.
This is a
normal and a necessary part of healing. It is healthy to allow our self to feel
the grief, and then to put it into God’s perspective. We can compare it to what
God did for us during other times of loss and what He is doing now as well. Circumstances
may continue to trigger our feelings for years after our loss. It is important
to allow our self to feel that grief, rather than to bury the feelings or to lecture
our self or others for the way we feel. They are legitimate feelings.
Patience with
our self and others who are grieving is very important. Those in grief need our
care, patience and understanding. We allow our grief to process naturally, by
refusing to put parameters and expectations on grief. Grief often resembles a
roller coaster; but it is also a ferry, which will transport us to the future
stages in our life with more compassion and understanding for others who encounter
grief in their life too.
Prayer:
Father God,
strengthen our inner being after a loss in our life and reshape the
beliefs and thought patterns that contribute to our fear of the future. Remind
us to read Your Word and to copy down verses, which comfort us in our time of fear
and grief. From Your scriptures,
we will gain guidance,
wisdom, courage and encouragement. They are our spiritual vitamins, which
strengthen us more each day.
Thought for the
Day:
God is more powerful than all of our needs, and He will
provide for us according to His glorious riches. – Philippians 4:19
