Grief is Something You Can Survive

Grief is a price you pay when you love someone. Only those who love knows the cost of grief. Missing someone is the way you remind yourself that you loved them. 

Not to spoil the ending for you, but everything is going to be Okay! 

Grief comes in many forms:

• The untimely death of a loved one
• Divorce 
• A miscarriage 
• Loss of health 
• Not talking to someone who you used to talk to everyday 
• The goodbyes that are never explained 
• Selling the family home 
• When you just get tired trying to be strong for everyone else 

Grief is a journey. Grieving cannot be hurried, pushed aside, ignored or denied. Grief takes you on a lonely journey many times in a crowded room filled with laughter. You have feelings of helplessness, fear and anxiety to deal with — while still trying to balance what is supposed to be your ‘normal’ life. 

You ask yourself: Where is God? Why did this happen? Then you go from guilt to remorse to anger — then every inconceivable thought gets tangled inside your head. The memories of the happy times frequently interrupts the stillness of the nights. 

Giving yourself TIME to grieve is a healthy way to deal with the process. 

Every person grieve in different ways — but there are some healthy ways to cope with grief:

1. Don’t get angry with God. God is on our side. He is touched with our grief. If you don’t stand firm in faith — we won’t be able to stand at all. Faith is about being okay no matter how things turn out
2. God is always in control. When unexpected things happen to us, we instantly feel that God must be also surprised by our current situation. The Bible assures us that not one sparrow falls to the ground that God isn’t aware of. He’s so detailed in dealing with us — that even the hairs on our head are all numbered. 
3. Cry it out. Keeping it all in may lead to serious mental problems. Not everyone cries but if you are anything like me — crying is my unspoken language that only God fully understands. Jesus wept at His friend’s Lazarus death. He didn’t avoid sadness, because it is not wrong to grieve. 
4. Learn new coping mechanisms. Learn new things. Get creative and make adjustments to your life. Only those who experience pain can help others who are hurting. It’s a unique opportunity afforded by God to help someone else with their pain. God comforts us so we can comfort others. 
5. Find your tribe/support group. If you are a member of a church, you may want to share with your friends/small group. An important factor to your healing is found in your faith, but a lot also has to do with a supportive tribe/family/loved ones. Keep on loving the people who love you.
6. Don’t blame yourself. You cannot control everything that happens in your journey. Our greatest ministry usually comes out of our deepest pain. Jesus didn’t blame Himself for the death of His friend Lazarus. 
7. Rise up from the sadness. The sun will come out tomorrow. Living with expectations is the best way to get over your grief. 

Whatever worries you masters you. 

Learn to master the tomorrows in your life. 

Gratitude turns the LITTLE we have left into ENOUGH…

You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one. The next chapter after grief is usually the most powerful chapter in your book. It becomes your best seller. 

You have circled around this mountain long enough — now turn north. 

God comforts us so we can comfort others. Your life’s experiences are your teaching tools. Don’t despise or hate on them. Let your past make you better and not bitter.