Grief

The Mask of Grief

by Darna Bedwell Gutter
08/02/09
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"The Lord is nigh to one of a broken heart and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit." 

 Once when visiting a local grocery store, I noticed the countenance of a grocery checker had changed somewhat dramatically. I recognized it to be grief. So I took a chance to say, "I am a child of God and so are you. And I perceive that you have lost someone." What followed was an immediate divine connection between all three of us -- him, God and me. 

It was an awesome feeling. This young man was made aware of God's divine love for him and desire to comfort him. And I felt my spiritual discernment sharpened by stepping out to show him God's concern. My heart rejoiced to see how quickly the Lord backed me up when I declared this discernment. Grief cast a shadow over our spirits. The pain can mask our faces as though we've become someone else. 

But grief has its place in the scheme of life. "The lamenting heart is made better by sorry." The general effect of sorry in our hearts brings about compassion and empathy toward others. Few things are able to weaken us like grief. But, "In weakness is His strength made perfect." These are the times when we ponder our own mortality. These are the times when we begin to reflect on the deeper meaning of life. 

As Christians, it's good to keep things in perspective. Death is inevitable and unavoidable. This life is short when you think eternal-minded. Christians have the hope of a great family reunion in Heaven. So we must not grieve forever. We must work our way through the grief and resume a life that reflects God's glory and love.

Obviously grief is not always induced by death. We can lose people due to incompatibility and our (both parties) failure to work things out. Marriages ending in separation and divorce can be devastating. The grief of a family falling apart is incomprehensible on so many levels.

Death is a final, but natural occurrence. But divorce goes against the laws of nature and is like uprooting a tree. But trees are able to survive a transplant. Reconciliation is even a possibility. A family that seeks God in the midst of their pain can find healing and refreshing to rise out of the despair of divorce and feel whole again.

God's love is so accommodating to what we have need of. Generally pain draws us closer to God. Anything that draws us closer to God can't be all-bad. Remembering that, "All things happen for the good to those who love the Lord." With God's help your spirit can survive and be resurrected from the harsh realities of grief. 

 © 2009