Breathe In, Breathe Out

When the grief hit me, I made it about a block before I crumbled on the sidewalk, weeping as the weight of it sunk in. Overwhelmed. Exhausted. Sad. Angry. Scared.

I looked up and begged desperately, I need a word, Lord, please. Can you give me anything to let me know we’re gonna be all right?

Eventually, the words grieve, breathe, and receive rose to my consciousness. I didn’t know what they meant in relation to my circumstances, but I knew how they felt in my spirit. Wiping away tears, I exhaled and had a sense of hope. In a moment of sheer desperation, I started to see a map develop that would become a guide for my journey:

• Grieve what is, what I thought it would be, and how key people let me down.
• Breathe in goodness, peace, and mercy; exhale bitterness, resentment, and anger.
• Receive what I need to learn, what I need to own, and who I will become.

With this solid sense of a path forward, I opened my journal and wrote out a personal commitment. Starting right now, my sole focus will be to:

1. Grieve + Breathe + Receive,
2. Help my family heal well,
3. Still create beautiful things.

Friends, as much as we want to control our circumstances, especially in the midst of disruption or loss, the truth is that we just can’t. And it can feel overwhelming to face the enormity of our grief all at once. One way we can approach this is by keeping it small and focusing on something we can commit to right now. This could be a daily prayer, a list, charting goals. The most important thing is consistently showing up to this practice through simple, actionable steps. This framework can help you take brave ground in your journey.

Grieve + Breathe + Receive was a precious reminder that I wasn’t alone or without purpose—and that I could praise God with the breath he had given me (Psalm 150:6), even as the pain persisted. What I thought was the end of my life would become my story of origin.

The same is true for you.

Pray with me:

Heavenly Father, you are faithful to meet us in our grief and speak to our hearts with words of comfort, strength, and hope. Thank you. Amen.