Grief: Grit & Grace

 

Our first daughter, Ashley Nicole, was born on May 1st and was with us for only nine days. Though she’s always with me, those first couple weeks of may are an especially tender time.

We all experience loss. It’s our common and unavoidable human experience.

Grief is the strangest emotion we’ll ever encounter. Often subtle, yet strong. And so personal, yet universal.

I was a whopping twenty years old when Ashley died. It was before I rooted my life in Jesus and I was lost under multiple layers of pain. They just about killed me, mentally and spiritually.

When I stepped into this new life in Christ, I embraced it. With an “all-in” determination, I tapped into the power to free my mind and spirit.

Best decisions ever.

But grief doesn’t just go away, does it? It still shows up. Some days, we’re Super Woman punching pain in the face. Some moments, grief whispers a sweet memory and we simply smile and sigh.

But oh my friend, I hear you. Sometimes it requires us to breathe deep and make a raw choice to stay in it and above it. This takes a ton of grit and grace.

We remember and feel and sit with sadness. We don’t rush to the next thing to distract us. We let tears release what our minds can barely accept and what our bodies should not hold on to.

Because we know that unprocessed emotions literally get stuck in us. Scripture and science agree on that. They wreak havoc on our systems and create dis-ease of body, mind, and spirit. So, we choose to keep them moving up and out and forward.

Then, at some point, we get up. We wash our faces. We live. We worship. We even delight.

We get to redeem it all for good. For us. For others. For abundant Life.

Does this make you cringe? Maybe it’s too soon. Maybe this is  hitting home … hitting your heart …  deeper than ever.

Please know:  I see you and I hear you. It’s all too new and too heavy. And that’s okay because you’re right where you need to be.

We just came through the strangest of seasons. The pandemic illuminated our global grief experience. Quite personal, yet so weirdly universal. Maybe it’s weighed on loss that was already as “heavy as wet sand.” *  Maybe it feels a bit like quicksand.

And quicksand sucks. So, hang on.

Grief is a lot to process. We can’t always do it alone. It might be more than your friends and family can understand. Only God truly knows, hears, and sees you. And it may be time to talk to a counselor.

Wherever you are today, pray for wisdom and comfort. Scripture says God sings over us so ask to be awakened to the  Spirit’s calm and comforting Presence. Be wrapped in it like a big warm, snugly blanket.

For your journey, may you find Peace, Love, Grit, and Grace. ☮️❤️

*Job 6:3

 

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