Grief and Loss

Grief is about loss. We most often think of grief being about those who lose someone in death. That is certainly a great grief but there are many other losses we may grieve about. When our daughter was born with Down syndrome 24 years ago, my wife and I grieved deeply that we had “lost” a healthy child. Others grieve over the loss of their own health, the health of someone close, a reversal in their financial situation, the heartbreak of a wayward child (at any age), experiencing a divorce, betrayal and much, much more.

Most of us have heard appropriately that there are stages in grief that a person often experiences. These are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Yet, the deep sadness of loss may go on long after.

There is a somewhat surprising Scripture regarding our griefs and sorrows. It describes something Jesus did on the cross for us. Isaiah 53:4a says, Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. The Hebrew meanings of griefs and sorrows are just what they say. They are connected to the sufferings we experience in this world. The verse says Jesus has already borne our griefs and sorrows. If Jesus has already borne these for the believer, then how can we experience this in real life.

I was discussing this with our Director of Counseling, Tom Short, recently and he was sharing what God was showing him about people’s griefs and sorrows. In a time of prayer, he asks the Lord to show this person their emotional pain. As the Lord takes them to the event(s) surrounding any grief or sorrow, he instructs the person to speak out loud the deep sadness that he/she is feeling about that deep loss. Once they have, he asks the person to give all of that grief, pain and sorrow to the Lord and to let Him take it away. He and the counselee stay in this time of prayer until God replaces those with relief and peace. In fact, Tom and his wife spent some time praying through some grief in her life several months ago and God used it to heal her physically.

This may not be the only way we experience God’s comfort during grief, but it is helping many, including me. Before I even knew Tom was using this in his counseling, I recently spent some time talking to the Lord, asking Him to show me my places of grief and sorrow. Much of it had to do with my daughter’s present and long lasting illness. I told the Lord all about it. Then, I gave it to Him based on Isaiah 53:4 quoted above. Little by little, I sensed the burden of a lot of it lifting from me. I’m asking Jesus to show me if there is more. I hope you too, by faith, will ask God to show you your losses, that you may not have thought about. Then tell him how you feel about each one and spend time giving them to Him until you sense His peace.

If you realize now that you are stuck in grief and would like someone to talk to, who can lovingly help you give your griefs and sorrows to the Lord, please contact us at 704-522-9026.

Warmly in Christ,

Jesus in the Quandary

Jesus Can Heal Your Grief and Sadness

Charlotte