"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2
Further
reading—Hebrews 6:19-20.
When one endures the deep burden of grief, God often seems
distant. A sense of abandonment may
ensue, and parts (if not all) of the grieving process can literally feel like a
complete emotional wave of undertaking.
As I have been in the midst of experiencing grief recently, I recall a
recent event that mirrored how we may deal with grief in many forms—from death,
marital issues, job loss, addiction, or another disastrous occurrence. Last summer, my then four-year old daughter
briefly took swim lessons but claimed that she already knew how to swim. As the instructors (and other apprehensive
students) repeatedly insisted on keeping one hand on the wall, she slowly
bobbed away, her arms paddling close to her body. I watched as it began, while wrestling a
frustrating clutch on our squirmy two-year old.
I eased over slowly, losing count of the times I shouted for her to
return to the wall. As my daughter approached
the depth change marker, I was in full dash (along with squirming two-year old)
toward her. And then it happened. For a full second, she went under. The instructors and lifeguard were already
there to pull her up. Is my daughter
okay? Yes, praise Jesus. Were we both terrified? Absolutely.
Grief in any stage is often like an ill-prepared attempt to dive right
in or “get on with it” (life, that is). As
in swim class, Christ’s kingdom also demonstrates safety in numbers. We still insist on doing it alone, although
we are surrounded by one or more nearby to console, not to mention a savior who
loves us dearly.
God commands us to rejoice together, and yes, mourn together. The acceptance of help or counsel can prove
difficult, but dogpaddling alone will likely lead to sinking. Grief can evolve from stubborn solidarity to
desperately seeking the Lord with prayer and meeting the embrace of others. They are there reaching for you, waiting for to
grab hold. These are the precious ones
whom He has sent—whether it be a dear loved one, new acquaintance, or stranger
with heartfelt words. The hand of God is
at work in that one person or persons that persistently offers to help or just
be there. They are a dear and precious
sent community. Jesus himself mourned
with others, and there is no burden too great that our Comforter cannot
bear. We need only lay it on Him and
share with others. In doing so, our
grief is lessened. Such a testimony can
only come from the relentless grace of our God.
Seek comfort in His kingdom-seekers, no matter how messy the grief. We are all
His, and worthy of it.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, give
us release in our grief to lift our prayers and open our hearts to You and to
the embrace of your kingdom here on Earth.
Help us also comfort others. Amen.
