Overwhelming Grief . . .

Anyone that has loss a spouse can tell you that you can't get around the grief. You can busy yourself and try to ignore it, but it won't be ignored. It's in your face, the one you treasured, so deeply, is not here! Life is finite! It's beyond comforting, for me to KNOW Jim is in the Presence of the Lord that I love so deeply. There's still no way around dealing with my loss. ALL your being longs to be in God's Presence too, to be freed of such pain! I long to be HOME more than ever before, but God is not finished with me yet! The grief, the loss, the pain is so overwhelming you're sure your heart is just going to explode in the anguish! Loss, grief, and pain bring change! The loss of a spouse turns everything you've known upside down, nothing is any longer the same, nor will it be again.

How do we go on with life, when everything inside us is hurting? The grief is, actually, just hitting, when everyone is pulling away and it seems it's time to move forward with life again! It's at that moment, that it hits you, that your loved one isn't on some extended trip ~ they're not going to walk in the door, any moment, from work. You've, actually, hoped it's a bad dream, that you're going to wake up in their arms again, to hear their voice! It's your every hope that they'd walk through the door and it all be a mistake, some misunderstanding! You long to hear their voice, but they are gone, as are those moments, that we so often take for granite.

Sooner or later, we all are going to face the loss of someone we deeply treasure. It's inevitable, death is a part of life ~ we ALL will face the loss of someone we love and depending on the depth and the intimacy of that relationship, we may feel that it sooner be us.

The prayers, the encouraging words, the cards, the phone calls are comforting in ways people can not imagine. But still, there is a void that no one can fill, a grief so deep, it feels like a bottomless pit! No one, but the Lord is capable of filling such an emptiness! No one! If you have lossed a loved one, I want you to know that God loves you deeply, more than, even the one you're having to let go of did. He is not far off, He is alive and desires to draw near and to comfort you, as no other. He's, truly, the only One that can take that feeling of "dying from the inside out" and to replace it with His Comfort and Peace.

Sitting at His feet and pouring out your heart out before Him, being honest about your pain and fears is a safe place to be trueful with your feelings. He will not ignore them, He will walk with you
THROUGH them! I know you want to avoid them, I know you just want the pain to go away, I'm there! It will lessen, a little bit, with each passing day, but we must go THROUGH it ~ hiding or running will not keep it at bay. We must work through it! Run to God!

Life isn't patient, either, even with the grieving, it demands we move forward. There's relationships to keep, bills that need to be paid, children or grand children that need a lap to sit on ~ life goes on. How in the world do you move forward from something so devastating, to being able to focus and to face life, in the midst of such trauma? There's only one way, my friend ~ sit at your Lord's feet, let Him pour Himself over you. Let God dispel your fears and wipe away your tears! Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you! Seek Him, let Him be Your ONE pursuit ~ it will be the most important thing you will ever do on this earth, as long as you draw breath! He will be a Refuge for you, an ever PRESENT help in trouble!

God's truths, His Word (the Bible) will dispel the lies that Satan will be throwing in your face! "You can not live with out (him or her)", will be Satan's lie to you. He will point out every conceivable fear and tell you how alone you are. It's not true! They are ALL lies, you can move against the fear! God's truths will dispel those lies! If you'll let God, He will take you by the hand and show you the way He has planned for you! He has a plan! Satan will blame it on God, don't take the bait!

Yes, you have lost someone you deeply valued, but you CAN go on! No, not on your own strength, I know it's feeling like sinking sand. You need someone to sustain you, to carry you, someone who will not leave you alone or forsake you ~  someone who is ABLE to carry you and knows the way through the storm.

If you are reading this, I'm praying for you! God can be known, intimately, and He longs to know you, personally. Won't you give Him a chance? He is sustaining me, right now, and I have never felt pain so deep or so grievious at any other time in my life! When I sit at His feet and worship Him and seek His face, my heart's fears vanish and my tears are moved to joy! He lifts my soul's burden's that have brought me to disfunction! Have you known another that can cause your heart to soar, when no other can? (It's called a love relationship and a love relationship with God is like no other!)

My friend, He can dispel your fears, encourage your heart and meet all your needs! It's a relationship and like any other intimate relationship, it's time spent with, that brings that deep intimacy, affection and trust. He is trustworthy! If you've never experienced a relationship with the Lord, ask Him to show you Himself, He will!

If you've been so blessed that you do not know what it's like to lose someone so close, to feel like your heart is breaking, then there's nothing better for you to be prepared for that, than to deepen your relationship, now, with the ONLY ONE, that can carry you through such a tragedy! There will be trials and even nightmares in this life on earth and some are for real! Sometimes we don't get to wake up and be grateful that they aren't true! Whatever life has brought you, my friend, that has you shook or feeling fear, grief, pain or loss~ THROUGH it is the only passage. ALL will fall short of filling such a DEEP need, but the Lord! Sit at His feet, it's never too late! Be honest, before the Lord, with your shortcomings, your struggles and your fears! You can be yourself, you don't have to pretend!

I promise you, if you come, He will not turn you away, no matter what you've done! He died, not to save the righteous, but the sinners of this world, like me. He died for us, so we could overcome sin. We can not be good enough to enter heaven on our own merit. Christ died in our place, all we need to do is accept that gift, to be forgiven. There's nothing you can do to cause God to love you more! Come, as you are and let God do the work in you! We can not change ourselves. Sit at His feet and let Him be your God! Let Him wash over you with His love and bring you HIS PEACE!

It's my every prayer that you will come to KNOW Him! That you will believe that He is real and alive and can be known by you ~ for you to know how deeply He desires you to come! If but one person is encouraged, helped or comes to KNOW the depth of God's love through my loss, then it will have been ALL worth while! May God bless you, as He has me, if you're reading this! I'm praying for you to come to KNOW Him more!