Grieving Loss…

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
    he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

 The righteous person faces many troubles,
    but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.  Psalm 34:18-19 NLT

Job loss.  Prolonged illness.  The loss of a beloved pet.  Divorce and broken relationships.  We tend to think of grief as only being related to the loss of someone to death.  But in fact, any life changing experience can and often does bring a season of grieving. Even the aging process we all face can bring on the emotions of grief as we face lifestyle changes…becoming empty nesters…facing giving up our homes or our freedom to drive… or simply realizing that we can’t do the things we’ve always done.  We grieve the losses we face and experience.  

Grief…is a natural intense emotional response to loss.  An emotional response. We often find ourselves on an emotional roller coaster of ups and downs, both positive and negative feelings that we really don’t understand.  Everyone goes through the grieving process in their own time. And unresolved grief can lead to anxiety, depression and other unhealthy responses ways of coping. But we don’t have to go through it alone.  We shouldn’t go through it alone.

Texting and electronic communications have created a culture of sharing our feelings with cute emoticons and emojis.  We post, I’m “in my feelings” today and our friends respond by clicking a heart or praying hands emoji or sending a virtual hug…and others ask “what’s up?”

Emojis are no substitute for the physical, emotional, and spiritual support we receive by joining with others in person, who are traveling a similar journey through the grieving process as we are.  No substitute for the warm hugs, caring smiles, heartfelt prayers, and lasting friendships made in a safe, confidential *group setting. No substitute for the strength and hope we gain by sharing the Word of God.

"Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near." Hebrews 10:34-25

*Good News Church Groups:

• Grief Work-Moving Beyond Loss
• Fade – Facing Anxiety and Depression Every Day
• Recovery on Main