Grief is a beast.
There are sound methods to properly grieve, but nothing about grief is easy. Grief experts have defined it as a five-stage process (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance). Even then, these five stages aren’t linear. Grief lingers, it circles back, it even pauses when it must.
Everyone grieves differently. Scripture speaks to this mystery. Solomon penned, “Laughter can conceal a heavy heart, but when the laughter ends, the grief remains.” (Proverbs 14: 13, NLT) Laughter is medicinal, but it’s not magic. It helps, but it doesn’t heal.
Grief sneaks up on us like a thief in the night. There are days when the heart feels steady, even hopeful. We begin to believe healing has fully come. Then, without warning, a memory, a melody, or a passing thought opens the floodgates, and sorrow rushes in again. The tears fall freely and we frustratingly wonder why.
You aren’t strange. You aren’t weak. You aren’t incapable of moving on. You are still grieving. And that’s ok.
Grief is a road no one chooses but everyone travels. We embark on the journey at different times and for different reasons, but we all take a turn.
As you travel through your grief, give yourself grace. Allow time for each stage. Don’t be discouraged when you’re laughing for one minute and crying the next. It’s all part of the process.
And the best part? Your High Priest, Jesus Christ, and your Comforter, the Holy Spirit, want to grieve with you. And though imperfect, God’s people are also supplied as companions on this road to sit with you, weep with you, and to remind you of hope when it feels distant.
Grief is an earthly sorrow but a sacred release. It’s a place where God meets us in our deepest need. Do not turn away from it.
Instead, entrust it to Him, and in time, you will see His faithfulness unfolding in your life. |
