I love the sight, sound and smell of the ocean. I am amazed by their endless waves. When it is hot I cannot wait to get in that cool water. My dad always said, nothing will cool you off like salt water and I think the same. I have always loved the ocean but I can remember, on numerous occasions, forgetting how powerful a wave can be. I remember being knocked over, turned upside down like I was in a washing machine. Rolling, twisting and finally sliding into shore on the small shells and sand skinning my legs. As I sat up I tried to feel for my bathing suit as I coughed and spit salt water out of my mouth. This wave came out of nowhere!
That is how I feel sometime when I think of my Dad. It has been 11 years, today, but some days it feels real and raw and hits me out of nowhere. The waves do not come as often as they did but they are still unsuspecting. The grief journey is a hard thing. I always say it hurts so bad because it was so good. I think this quote explains my feelings. "Grief is like an earthquake. The first one hits you and the world falls apart. Even after you put the world together again there are aftershocks, and you never really know when those will come."
Psalm 62: 8, "Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge." God understands our feels and our grief. God tells us to release that grief to Him and He will help us deal with it. Grief is nature’s way of healing a broken heart. Jesus wept when he heard that his friend, Lazarus, had died. God wants us to grieve so we can deal with a loss. Matthew 5: 4, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." We are all different and our grieving is unique. When we are grieving, God cares about us and wants to help us. To receive peace and rest, we just have to call out to God. Psalm 61: 3, "Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe."
Grief is the cost of loving someone.