"Therefore, you grieve now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you." John 16:22
When you lose a loved one, many people tend to sink deep into the dungeons of darkness as the colors of life fade away. It often makes life feel meaningless. Losing a loved one might even bring your everyday life to a halt or just feel very disoriented.
Some of us have already lost someone close in our lives, while others have yet to walk through that season – but they will. We all do. Because death is something that will come to all of us; it's just a matter of time. Losing a loved one or a close friend is never easy, but understanding the stages of grief can sometimes help us navigate the journey.
Grief often begins with a feeling of numbness and denial, promoting an inability to accept the news. It's a sense of disbelief that the person is really gone. Once the reality of death settles in, a whole new wave of grief and emotions come crashing in. It's an emotionally challenging season, the specifics of which impact everyone individually.
For many, the loss of a loved one can also lead towards an anger with God as the world continues on as normal, but you're left picking up the pieces of your now shattered world – never to be the same again. It may stir up feelings of depression, or the outlook that life is now meaningless without that individual. Finally, however, there will come acceptance– a coming to terms with the loss, and beginning to move on with life as you navigate your new normal without this person.
The grieving process takes time, but it doesn't have to crush you. 2 Corinthians 1: 3-5 reminds us that even in the darkest pain and grief, God wants to be our greatest comforter : "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too."
God doesn't rejoice in our sufferings. He grieves. He wants to comfort us. Why? So that we can in turn comfort others as they walk through seasons of pain and suffering. So, when you feel like you might be consumed by grief, cling to God's strength. God understands loss – He saw His own Son, Jesus, die on the cross. God knows what you're feeling and He wants to offer you hope, comfort, and strength to navigate each day. Will you let Him walk with you?
