Beauty from Ashes

-


Grief can be beautiful. The world tells us that grief is sadness, pain, something to get through and get over. And grief IS sadness and pain but it can also be so much more. 

 I've lost a lot of loves in my life. I lost my first husband, Ken, 20 years ago and my mom just a few weeks ago. When you love someone deeply and your lives have been lived together, intertwined, their loss feels like part of you comes unraveled. You realize day by day, it's not just one loss, it's a thousand little losses. Grief IS exhausting, painful and just plain hard work. We don't get to choose when we suffer a loss, but we can choose HOW we grieve.

  The Bible tells us we can grieve as those with no hope- a path that leads to despair and brokenness- or we can grieve as those with hope- a path that leads to spiritual growth, hope, peace and even joy- that death does not have the final word. I choose to grieve with HOPE. HOPE that this life isn't all there is. HOPE that the love I have shared with my mom and Ken continues now and into eternity. HOPE of a joyful reunion in Heaven where Love endures forever.

  So, I let myself feel my grief. I let myself cry and feel the pain of the loss of their presence. BUT, I don't let myself stay in that place of pain. I choose to turn my focus and thoughts to gratitude for all the moments shared, the love given and received, the beautiful gifts the person filled my life with. Gratitude fills the heart with JOY. Yes, you can experience JOY even in deep grief. Then I look forward to a joyful reunion and remember that this life is not all there is.

  Death does not have the final word. Love is never lost but endures forever. Christ came into the world to bring this HOPE and JOY and LOVE that endures forever. He is the light in the darkness. May your hearts be filled with His peace, hope and joy 
even if you are also in a season of grieving.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

We're All Just Doing the Best that We Can

-
Image
So many people use up every ounce of energy they have every single day just to make it through another day and do all the things those of us privileged with healthy bodies and minds do without thinking. Don't make the mistake of thinking your healthy body and mind are because you have done anything better than someone else. If you have a healthy body and mind and lots of energy, 90% of that is luck and good genes (despite what we like to think). Don't consider yourself better than anyone else. Consider yourself lucky, blessed. Understand that many people who survive another day do so with an exceeding amount of strength and courage. I have lived through seasons of vibrant health and seasons of struggles with my body and mind. I have had fierce battles with despression, anxiety and chronic fatigue. No one looking at me would have any idea of the battles I was fighting inside. I have felt judged by strangers, close friends and even family during these fighting seaso...
Read more

#Blessed??

-
Image
You've probably seen #blessed on t-shirts and mugs, instagram, facebook and twitter.  It's almost always in connection with a vacation photo, beautiful family photo or some victory over illness or work.  All of those are, of course, blessings.  God desires to give us every good gift.  I find it interesting, however, what Jesus says about who He considers to be blessed. If Jesus considers the people referenced in the Beatitudes as blessed, why don't we see posts with the #blessed when people post about losing a loved one (Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted) or those who are persecuted because of their faith,  or those who are poor in spirit because of a difficult trial? (Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven) I had to really think about #blessed this week as my family faced another Job moment.  Since my husband's stroke two months ago, one of the bright lights in our family has been my daughter's p...
Read more

When the Seas Roar

-
Image
Friday morning, March 15th 2019, I was laying in bed, determined not to get out of my warm cocoon until the last possible moment, when my son burst in the room, "An FMC nurse wants to talk to you."  It took a few seconds to register, but then the alarm went off in my head.  The voice on the other end of my phone sounded worried, "We have Jay in emergency.  It appears he is having a stroke.  We have given him clot busting medication and are having him life flighted to OSU.  If you leave now, you may be able to see him before they take off." I don't remember getting dressed but I ended up in the ER just moments before they whisked him off to the helicopter waiting for him on the roof of the hospital.   Thankfully, my son was home from college on Spring Break and could drive me the 45 minutes to the hospital.  I was greeted at OSU by a neuro surgeon.  "Jay has a clot in his brain.  He will have the best outcome if we go in and remove ...
Read more