A loved one dies and our world crumbles. We are certain we will never endure the horrors around us. Will there be any more hope?
Life, though, has another plan. The day of visitation comes and our loved ones and friends line up to offer condolences. Family members from afar gather around us and tears briefly turn to laughter at joyous reunions and happy memories. Momentarily, we feel sane again.
The funeral arrives and part of our heart enters the earth. Afterward, we stagger home, numb and less than whole. Time becomes a blur as we mechanically address kind words and the food and hugs of strangers.
We feel lost. However, life has other ideas. The day crawls forward, the fitful night arrives and the next morning blossoms. Days and nights follow and we feel guilty for still being here.
Yet, gravity moves us forward after a tragic loss. We face new days & challenges filled with moments of sadness. The inexorable inevitability of time helps us heal. Be grateful for it. Without it, grief would swallow us whole. Time heals because it saves.
We assemble our mementos as our shrine to reflect upon as we continue our existence. Eventually, we find patterns in our new lives. We still feel that we are less than whole and we accept this new reality and we put one foot in front of the other.
When Jesus faced the grief of the cross, he turned to prayer and his friends. He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch” (Mark 14:34, NKJV).
We learn three points from this passage. First, grief is destructive without prayer (Philippians 4:6). When we lay our sorrow on God’s shoulders, we have less to carry and can maintain our forward progress.
Second, sorrow is natural to man. We will all face it, even Jesus. Therefore, he understands our grief and pain (John 11:17-37).
Third, sorrow is less fearsome in a crowd. We know God will never forsake us ( Hebrews 13:5), and we need our loved ones around us. Even if they sit in silence, their presence warms our heart and makes our pain easier to bear (Job 2:11-13).
Grief will devour us, if we do not move forward. Even if we move slowly, we are advancing and that is all that matters.
Richard Mansel @ www.forthright.net