It’s our third week on the dark, hidden, scary back roads we’ve been traveling this month. The trip has been hard as we don’t like this journey, but if we don’t visit these places, we continue to suffer.
We looked at our Motives and Fears – this week, Grief!
We think of losing someone when we define grief. It can also be any sadness, pain, failure, or sorrow we have dealt with, whether that was a crisis in our life or the life of our spouse, child, or dearest friend. It’s a tragedy that changed us forever.
I offer a list of 72 options for a client to consider when identifying a past or present pain/grief. It is not uncommon to check over half the items! You can understand this when the list includes deceived by a friend, treated unfairly at work, or a natural disaster destroyed your home. If you struggle with a chronic health issue or threat of a terminal illness, bankruptcy, a job layoff, a rebellious teen, divorce, empty nest, infertility, drug/alcohol/eating related issue. And, of course, loss of parent, child, spouse, friend.
Our first step to healing is identifying we are grieving. Anger and bitterness is a reaction to grief that often hurts those around us. This is an indicator to look deep inside and discover what you are grieving. Although we’ve been told there are stages to grief, we all grieve differently. Don’t put yourself into a plan of action that is not right for you. But, don’t stay there, either. God has big plans to step into your brokenness, shape and perfect you, then recycle your grief to bless the life of another.
What has your grief taught you? Are you more humble, grateful, sensitive, compassionate, patient, encouraging, gentle, generous, forgiving, or dependent on God? Or are there wounds that are still open?
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