Daily Devotions - Grief
Dealing with death is not easy for any of us. Whether death is sudden and unexpected or whether it is the culmination of a long illness, we all struggle with letting go of our loved ones.
After I hung up the phone, I sat back in my chair and thought, "No longer a daughter… Now, that's a different thought." I don't suppose I ever would have gone there. As an ache started to well up in my heart, I suddenly remembered part of a Scripture a man had given me about four months ago. When I remembered the Scripture, the tears coursed down my face…not from grief. They were tears of overwhelming joy.
Let us remind ourselves that we are all passing, and sooner or later that final passing will be ours as well. We should redouble our efforts to leave no doubt to our loved ones and friends that our passing will be a glorious moment of entering into our rest in the presence of God.
Rocky, the yorkie-poo had been moping around since the other family dog had died. A simple backyard encounter gave him reason to get rid of the blues. Our blues may be brightened by something simple also.
When calamity, tragedy, and devastation come into our lives there is usually the initial shock. Much like the recent earthquake, causing the 30 foot tsunami to hit ashore, people were caught off guard. They stood spellbound as the wave brought its terrible destruction. Then came the after shock and with it was the reality that gripped them to the very core of their being. The questions afterwards were maybe, "What now? How will I survive?”
Continue calling upon the Lord, Jesus. Whatever happens in your life, don’t let go of Him. Keep striving to live in peace and harmony with each other even when things seem to be getting worse. He will send the help you need and it will always come in a way you never thought.
God's lamp shone brighter and brighter into the depths of my heart until I finally looked at the misdirected resentment I felt toward him for allowing my brother to be taken away in the prime of his life. I confessed: "I’m so sorry, Lord, for being angry with you all of these years."
I had already gone to sleep when the phone rang. My dad’s voice was shaky as he let me know that my grandmother had lost her battle with cancer. It was a phone call that I’d been expecting, but one that I was still not prepared for.
When Matthew was 5-years-old, Poppa died. After tearfully breaking the news to the boys, that quiet intensity caused Matthew to simply cock his head to the side and ask, “So Poppa’s in heaven, right?”
Her earthly tent may be stricken with brain cancer, but the core of her being has not changed. In the face of terminal illness she has strong faith—even on the hard days.
If I’d have known there was a problem between Lisa and her husband I’d have prayed for her safety. My heart broke as the loneliness swept over me. Christ had brought us together as friends and now we were divided by the shroud of death.
“How long will you mourn?” doesn’t mean that we can’t express our emotions. It does mean that God doesn’t want us to mourn indefinitely. If Samuel had not loved Saul, there wouldn’t have been such a sense of heartfelt pain.
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