Spiritual Staminaနမူနာ

Facing Grief at the Wall

Pain is something we typically want to avoid, but some types of pain cannot be escaped. When our hearts are grieving, just surviving the day can be exhausting. How do we find the stamina to move forward after being stopped in our tracks by the wall of grief?

It starts with simply showing up. There may be days when all you can do is breathe and be present. A few days ago, we read that Simon hit a wall when he failed to catch fish... but he showed up. He stayed present and followed Jesus’ instructions, and as a result, received abundant provisions.

In John 11, we’re introduced to two more people who hit a wall on their spiritual journey. Martha and Mary are grieving because their brother, Lazarus, has fallen ill and died. They believe in Jesus’ power but wonder why he hadn’t stopped this from happening.

Grief has a way of diluting faith, of making us think that if Jesus didn’t do things the way we thought he would, then he might not do anything at all. But that’s not how Jesus works. For Christians, we can grieve while holding on to hope. In this way, even our weeping can be a form of worship.

Jesus is amazing. He sees Mary crying before him, but he already knows that he, the very author of life, holds power over death. Still, he is deeply moved by the grief of his friends and even weeps alongside them.

To the grieving reader, let the tenderness of Jesus quiet the chaos in your soul. Know that chaos is the common setting for miracles. The resurrection of Lazarus, and later of Jesus himself, points to the reality that Jesus takes bad things and makes them beautiful.

Let that be where we find the stamina to show up and move forward today.

Reflection: Has grief diluted my faith? How is God taking my pain and making something beautiful? If I have not recently experienced loss, is there a friend who needs me to weep alongside them?

Prayer: Lord, thank you for understanding my pain. Help me trust you, even when you don’t answer my prayers the way I had hoped. Please help me remember that you are working behind the scenes to make everything new and give me eyes to see the goodness and beauty all around me.