Grief is awful. It is gut-wrenching, numbing, overwhelming, and difficult. Sometimes its good to hold our memories, our grief, our loss. Other times, it can be beneficial to set our grief to the side for a moment and look to the distractions of every day life, if we can. Talk with people who understand. Pray. It is a process and it will take time to heal. In my own encounters with loss, the one way I have found to get through grief is to actually work on moving through it. There are no shortcuts. Everyone grieves differently, and everyone has their own process.

It is not only the loss of another person that can bring grief. It’s the loss of a pet, moving to a new city, starting a new job, the loss of future plans, the loss of an event, things from the past, or the year that is 2020. The holidays can also make grief more evident. We look to the good, the memories, the hope that should be there. But when someone is gone, it can be incredibly painful.

In our grief, we may not see the light of hope. But there is hope. There is so much comfort and power the comes from a God who sits with us in the ashes, a God who cares for us and loves us regardless of how much we feel loved, or how alone we might feel. If you find yourself grieving this year, give yourself permission to grieve and work through things. Pray, talk with God, talk with people, reach out for help.

Some resources are listed here – a few Bible verses, and a list of books and websites you might find helpful. One of the websites includes some of the normal signs and symptoms that come with grief.

During this time, may you find even in the deepest grief that your faith can grow deeper and your understanding of God, more personal and profound. May you sense and be comforted by the Hope that shines light into the darkness.

Katie
Chaplain in Palliative Care