Grief Can Be Like That....

Yesterday was the first day of Spring!!!!
I woke up to the wind howling and it being 18 degrees!!!
There is not a robin to be found as we have several inches of snow and ice yet crusting the ground.
Will Spring ever come????

Yes, it is guaranteed to come.

Grief can be like this though....it seems like healing will never come,
that the pain will never go away,
that every time you turn around there is another memory
that knocks you down and brings you to tears.
Or maybe it is a dream that never will be....
But it all hurts,
A biting, consuming, overwhelming hurt ............

But healing does come.
Slow at first, but more as time goes by,
Sometimes the healing only comes after pressing through the pain,
sometimes it comes with just crying or writing. All of it comes from the touch of Jesus and spending time with HIM.  Clinging to Him and His promises.

So just as this cold wintry spring day will melt away eventually into a gorgeous day with flowers in bloom....

The grief pain melts away into an ache, a hope, a strength,
a peace, a purpose......

And one day you find that another wounded heart needs hope,
they need to know it too will heal. 
So you rip off your bandage and let the old wound weep a little.
But you go sit beside them on the road of grief.
And they let you walk with them,
because you know,
you have been there,
your tears speak a language they understand, and you can pray with understanding.

Every time I have done this, I find my heart bleeding some too. Within the first year of grief, I discovered that reaching out is healing for me also.  Whether I sent a card, gave a small gift, gave a hug, wrote an email or letter, gave a book, or visited,  it all was giving hope to another griever on this road. It is like the Lord gave me more hope as I gave hope to others.  As I encourage them to heal, I was healed more.  Every time I share my grief story, I find out how much I really have healed. I see better where each of the boys are on their journey of grief as well. Somewhere in the past 7 years, grief stopped being the enemy that  threatened to over take me.  Instead grief became a mutual friend that introduces me to others, and gives us a common bond. 

Grief can be like that too.