I have experienced many moments of grief in my life.
I was 21 when my mom died. For a college class, I had read about the stages of grief. Intellectually, I knew what to expect. My mother’s illness was both very short and very long. It’s a mystery how when going through something like that it seems like time stands still and speeds up all at the same time.
When my mom was ill, I remember sitting in the middle of my bed reading James 1:2-3.
“Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance so that you may be mature and complete.”
I mean really God? Pure joy? There was nothing outwardly joyful about the mess I was in the middle of. So, I asked Him to help me consider it pure joy. In hindsight, I can say that those trials DID produce perseverance. Now when new trials arise, after I panic and have a come-apart, I am getting much quicker about turning to God and thanking Him for the trial.
Recently I have experienced a new type of grief. It’s been hard. I have watched people I love grieve and there’s nothing I can do to alleviate the pain.
Since it’s February, I have been reading the “Love” chapter in 1 Corithians 13. Usually, I consider all the things that love is not, however, this time, I have been meditating on verse 4- “Love is patient. Love is kind.”
So what does Love have to do with Grief?
Love is patient when you are grieving. Love is kind when you are grieving. God is patient when you are grieving. God is kind when you are grieving.
Grief is messy and hard. It is a cycle that takes many twists and turns. There’s no linear way to grieve. And in the midst of all the chaos, the questioning, the fear, the in-between, God is patient and kind.
