Scripture:
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; ... a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;“ (Ecclesiastes 3:2, 4)
Reading:
Dad died just short of my 24th birthday. The world considered me an adult, but I still leaned heavily on my dad to navigate life. Speaking at his funeral I read aloud a list of things that continue to remind me of him: the Redskins, cracking peanuts, sailing, to name a few. I could feel the loss of him echo in my soul.
Every family has someone they wish were still here. We are irrevocably changed when the people we love, who loved us, pass into eternity. I have found that “holding firm to the word of life” (Philippians 2:16) helps me to live in our Father’s world where death is a thief.
“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? praise him, my salvation and my God.” (Psalm 42:11)
David, who was a shepherd, paints a vivid picture with the words “cast down.” To the ancient Hebrews“cast down” speaks of a wooly sheep, saturated and waterlogged to its skin. Under the weight of the wool, the sheep topples over and is unable to right itself. It takes a good shepherd to restore the sheep.
Your Shepherd “is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18) In times of grief when you can hardly breathe, God is the strength of your heart and cares for you as one in His pasture (Psalm 73:26, 100:3). He is the “God of all comfort.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-5)
Charles Spurgeon wrote, ”Let your faith reason with your fear and your hope argue with your sorrows.” With the help of the Holy Spirit and prayer, scripture speaks to our sorrow, guides us to lament, and uprights our faith and hope while grieving.
Trust your Shepherd. As you long for your loved one, your grief in Christ’s hands will lighten and the echo will become His voice. There is a great goodness coming to you; a time to heal, a time to laugh, a time to dance, a time for peace (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8).
Your Turn:
Have you invited God to help you? How is scripture ministering to you?
Start a list of your person’s characteristics, the special ways they loved you and touched your life. Thank God for the time you had and ask for grace to live in a way that honors your loved one.
Consider joining a GriefShare group for insight and support along with others who are
experiencing the intensity of grief.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You that my love for ___ will outlast my pain. Teach me how to live well with the weight of grief. Lord Jesus, thank You for being my good Shepherd and helping me. Amen.