Good Grief

I did a women's retreat themed living your life in joy through fear, grief and forgiveness. I didn't understand why God wanted me to use grief until I started preparing. I knew I still grieve my Dad at times and how things used to be but I realized I grieve things that don't include death. We grieve how things could have been or how things used to be. We grieve our past life. We grieve changed or broken relationships. After the retreat I realized most people are grieving something. 

Grief is the cost of loving someone and it can make our hearts physically hurt. We can feel hopeless. What does the Bible tell us to do? Jesus says, "Come to Me." Call out to Him. Psalm 6: 2-4, 6-7, "Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint; heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in deep anguish. How long, Lord, how long? Turn, Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love....I am worn out from my groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes."

When we surrender to our struggle, allowing all the tears, recognizing our brokenness and surrendering to God, He can fill us with more of Him. Psalm 62: 8, "...pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge." We can place our hope and trust in the Lord. Matthew 5: 4, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." Blessed means favored by God. When we surrender our struggle to Him we begin to experience His goodness and comfort. Isaiah 40: 31, "but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Our grief won't go away immediately but we will feel God's peace and comfort which strengthens us.

"The only cure for grief is to grieve."