Please note that devotions will be published Monday – Friday this week.
Today’s author is Prince of Peace member, Sharon Rachner.
A peek at a typical worship service reveals that today many worshipers are older or elderly. Some may be sick with illnesses that threaten their very lives. Those worshipers are here because they are comforted by their love for and the love of the Lord and they have faith in God’s promises. Isaiah 40:1 says: “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.” And so, life continues—until it ends. And when that time comes, the grieving begins.
My beloved husband fell into the category of elderly and sick. I lost him earlier this year. I’d taken care of him for the last few years even though during that time I’d experienced some serious medical problems myself. But, then, that’s what “through sickness and health” is all about, isn’t it? He’d been seriously ill many times before and each time he recovered and came back home. I expected it would be the same this time. Our children and I were shocked when the emergency room doctor, after examining him and running some tests asked, “Have you considered hospice care yet?” NO! It never crossed our minds. But, in the next couple of weeks after several trips back and forth to the hospital, it became apparent that this time was different.
His last trip was to a care center where a social worker suggested that the time had come to arrange for hospice care. I was numb—I did what I had to do without drama. Throughout it all, he just wanted to go home. I agreed to hospice care of him at home. After all, I’d been his long-time caregiver so how hard would caring for him now be? Little did I know! After he passed I was comforted in the assurance that he was now in the loving hands of Jesus.
So what is grief all about? Grief is the emotional suffering you feel when someone you love is taken away. Whether it’s a spouse, parent, child, another relative, or a close friend, the death of a loved one is overwhelming. You may experience waves of intense and very difficult emotions ranging from profound sadness, emptiness, and despair to shock, numbness, disbelief, anger, guilt or regret. You may even find it difficult to accept that the person is really gone, or struggle to see how you can ever recover and move on from your loss. The more significant the person was in your life and the more feelings you had for them—regardless of their relationship to you—the greater the impact their loss is likely to have. There’s no way to avoid intense feelings of grief.
The level of support you have around you, your personality, and your own levels of health and well-being can all play a role in how grief impacts you. But no matter how much pain you’re in right now, it’s important to know that, while life may never be quite the same again, in time you can ease your sorrow, start to look to the future with hope and optimism, and eventually move forward with your life. Few things compare to the pain of grieving for a lost love; it may be the most painful experience you’ll ever endure.
“Merciful God, I call upon you to strengthen those who are grieving or have experienced a loss. Thank you for the memories of loved ones. They are treasures that last forever.” Amen
Tomorrow’s daily devotion will deal with: What the Bible Has to Say about Grief.