Christianity Oasis Forum

[1st Timothy 4:12]

How To Cope With Grief
Do you know someone who's dealing with the loss of a family member, friend, or co-worker? No matter how pleasant they may appear to be on the outside, the truth of the matter is they're broken up on the inside. You don't have to look too far to find a grieving heart, because all of us have faced grief at one time in our life. If truth were told, there are some people still grieving a loss that happened a year ago, five years ago, or even longer. There are plenty of books that deal with the grieving process, however, each person handles their loss in a different way. Situations will either make you stronger in dealing with your loss or cause you to sink into what appears to be a bottomless pit of sorrow, hurt, pain, and uneasiness.
In this life, I've discovered that grieving is a process in which everyone must go through. Though how holy or spiritual you are, without going through something, you can never fully appreciate the comfort, care, and concern that God has for you. No one wants to grieve the loss of someone close, but we all know that people will leave this world for a better one. We may not understand it because of our selfish wants and reasons, but one thing for sure, life on this earth is temporary. Before my mother passed away in January 2007, she reassured me that she was going to a better place. She told me not to worry, not to cry, nor feel sorry for her because she lived her life on this earth the way God wanted her to live it.
In this spiritual journey, I want to share with you a few ways in which you can cope with the grieving process. The first thing you need to do is acknowledge you're hurting. In other words, don't try to act as though you're okay when deep down, you're messed up from the floor up. Without acknowledging there's hurt in your life, you can never begin the healing process. The second thing you need to do in coping with grief is to reflect on the positive traits, characteristics, and lessons left by that person. Whenever you shift your attention from the loss to lessons learned through their life, you'll connect deeper to their calling and even your own. Life has meaning and just because someone transitions from this world to the heavenly world doesn't mean his or her meaning is lost.
In writing to the people of Corinth, the apostle Paul said, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." Please don't miss this last point. In helping you cope with grieving, submit yourself over to God and His unfailing love. With God, you'll find comfort. With God, you'll find companionship when you're lonely. With God, you'll gain strength to make it through. And with God, every tear will be wiped away. If you're grieving at this moment, I implore you to seek God through prayer, meditation, fasting, and studying His Word. In God, you'll find your comfort.
I found this online! I did not write this.

[Dora]

A very timely message as many grieve heavily this time of year. It's difficult celebrating when we can not be with the ones we love.

Your post also reminded me of how we may grieve the loss of a limb or other body part. We can also grieve during the holiday seasons because of past pains that seem to be so fragile during this time of year.

The answer to all, is as the author said, Jesus. He may not take the pain away immediately but He can and will sooth it so we can continue on.

love ya 1st.