OCTOBER 23, 2021      |      Several synonyms relating to grief are anguish, heartbreak, misery, sadness, mourning, and despair. Grief can enter someone’s life at any time, without warning, and in various ways. No one goes through life without experiencing some type of loss that produces grief. 

One commonly shared form of grief occurs when we lose someone close to our heart. To deny the loss doesn’t hurt, to try to drink it away, to stuff it away, or to work it away are unhealthy ways to mourn. God fashioned us with feelings, tears, and emotions. When channeled rightly, a healthy grief occurs that permits us to accept, process, mourn, and in time to live beyond the loss. 

We who are in Christ are not to grieve like those who have no hope. On the contrary, we have a living hope—hope in the present and hope of eternity. Hope in the resurrection of our Lord, and hope of His second coming. The hope of seeing God our Father face-to-face and our loved ones who are presently resting in the Lord. When dealing with loss and grief, may we embrace this living hope and allow our hearts to heal, feel, and enjoy life again.