|
Caring Circuits |
Transforming Grief for JoyBy Carol AdamsRead Psalm 77; Joshua 1:9; Psalm 37:23,39; II Corinthians 4:6-8, 17-19; Isaiah 43:1-3Grieving Is:G - Global. No matter whom you are or what age you are, you will experience grieving at some juncture in your life. It is a loss of some measure, whether it is a death, a tragedy, health issues; or a loss of one's hopes, dreams or expectations. R - A revelation and reverberation. Everything gets revealed the day we experience grief; and everything ripples with the physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental effects of grief. When everything is whirling out of control, we can stand assured of God's presence and promises. Joshua 1:9, states, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." I - Inconsolable. Deep grieving makes us question the whys and the wherefores. Job certainly did in Job 3. Yet, Job's trust and hope remained in God. In Psalms 77, David questions God as to why this turmoil and finds comfort knowing that God was with him even "though your footprints were not seen." (Psalm 77:19 NIV). E - Emotional. Grief takes us to places deep within that we have never experienced before. Some emotions simmer while some are immediate. It is a frightening place to encounter countless emotions wreaking havoc in our lives. Isaiah 41:10 states the awesome fact that when our emotions rage that God is with us. He will give us all we need to help us as He holds onto us. He never lets go! V - Vivid and vast. It can be immense as it sweeps over our souls. It can come in great deluges; or in simple rains which brings vivid awareness that we need the strength of the Lord. Just as our grieving is vivid and vast, so will He show His love and compassions to us (Lamentations 3:1-33 NIV). I - Insight. Grief gives us insight into what we hope and believe in. Grief brings us deeper into God's meanings for our lives through illustration and process. David illustrated this in the book of Psalms. God does not move away from us when we experience grief. He is ready to up hold us and provide a stronghold for us in times of trouble (Psalm 37:23,39). N - Normal and natural. It is normal, in the fact, that we all will experience grieving and despair. We all will be heart-broken, hurting and miserable at some point. We all will ache, cry, lament and sorrow. Some will be crushed beyond belief while others will take it in stride. It is very natural to grieve. As Jesus was preparing to be crucified, He tells his disciples in John 16:20-22 that they will weep and mourn, but their grief will turn into joy. There is a time for grief and grieving. G - God's way. In order for growth to occur in a tender plant, it must face very adverse conditions - wind, heat, hail, insects, and storms. Yet, in order for it to survive, it must depend on its Creator. We, too, in the midst of our grieving must gaze on God to carry us through these waters, rivers and fires. He promises that He will be with us. [Isaiah 43:1-3]. God's word tells us that we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us in spite of what we experience in this life. Nothing will ever be able to separate us from His love (Romans 8:31-39). In Psalm 46, David knows God's way. He is our refuge, our strength, and our help no matter what befalls us. Grieving is noted in my life, as I am watching my 88 year old mother struggle with Alzheimer's. She sees faceless figures. People she should know, but does not recognize. She cannot stay by herself any longer and she grieves because she has lost her home, her possessions, her freedoms, and what was familiar to her. As I stand by, I am lost in my grief for her. She is changing to someone I never knew and yet always knew. She is fiercely independent, and yet dependent. She is strong, but weak; tender, but hard. As I look at her, she is my mother; but, at times, a stranger. I feel her pain, her anxiousness at her forgetfulness. She feels the weight, as I do, as she sees herself slipping away. Grieving can lock us into pain and depression, and I am glad that though I grieve I find great consolation in Paul's words in 2 Corinthians. Paul says we are to look at things differently because light shines out of darkness and "we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." [2 Corinthians 4:6-8; 17-18 NIV]. |
Copyrights: Content (c) 2010 Circuit 'Riter Ministries. |