How To ThriveSample

How To Survive THRIVE - Emotionally

Day 5: Grief

Grief is an emotion associated with loss. Loss does not just happen through a physical death. Loss is also experienced in an ending - of a relationship, the termination of a job, the onset of terminal illness, failed dreams, the inability to conceive or facing an empty nest. All of these circumstances process an experience of loss to one degree or another. Grief is a natural response to loss. We can grieve the relationship we hoped for, we can grieve the declining ability of our body, we can grieve the daily role we play in our children's lives. 

Grief is no different to a physical wound. It needs to be tended to in a healthy way to avoid the scars of a hardened heart. Denying that we feel grief will result in some element of relational dysfunction, in the same way that refusing to allow your broken bone to be reset will result in an inability to use that limb to it’s best capacity. Those who grieve need to allow themselves to enter into a place of healing. Scripture tells us that “God heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds” - this is an intimate picture of God tending to the wounds of grief. We need to bring our broken and grieving hearts to Him; we need to allow ourselves to express to Him what we are feeling. He is our refuge. He will comfort those who mourn. 

The emotions associated with grief - anger, denial, shock, fear, anxiety, relief - just to name a few, will come and go like a roller-coaster. The key to the journey of grief is to allow yourself to feel what you feel. If we express rather than suppress, our journey of grief will be healthier than if we shut down and live in a place of denial. Joy does come in the morning, joy does come in the journey of mourning.  

Psalm 56:8 “You keep track of my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.”  

Know that your journey of grief is one that is very close to the heart of God. He intimately keeps track of you in ways you can't begin to imagine - hold onto that truth, you are not alone.

Written by Madz Deyzel | Grace Counselling Director