The Journey to Overcoming Grief

When my son died, it was the worst experience I have ever gone through. The pain was crippling. The only way I have been able to get through such tremendous loss is by the divine power of God.  Each step of the way, God has helped strengthen my faith and enabled me to come to a place of acceptance.

While daunting, the acceptance stage of grief is possible when you know you have a loving God who can overcome anything, including death. Our son was not healed this side of heaven, yet we can believe in God’s promise that someday we will be reunited with him in heaven.

On my unexpected journey through grief, I have been shown precious insights into God our heavenly Father.  My prayer is that what I have learned may be of comfort to you should you find yourself on a similar path to overcoming grief.

God’s Strength

I am weak because I am human. Some have called me strong for what I have gone through, however, it is not my strength. It is God’s power that got me through - one day at a time, one prayer at a time. When I had moments of weakness and felt like I could not move forward with even such necessities as planning my son’s funeral, I prayed to God for His strength. His love for me gave me the ability to forge ahead in that moment. And God has given me thousands of moments of His strength when I needed Him.

God loves you that much too. When you feel as if you cannot keep going and you want to give up, turn to Him. Ask for His strength in the moment. Philippians 4:13 says “ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

God does not want us to struggle alone. He wants to help us - we just need to ask. When we feel at our weakest, that is when we can call upon God. Isaiah 40:29 reminds us, “He  (God) gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the weak.”

God’s Peace

The grieving process can feel like a mighty storm that is trying to rip you to shreds. Yet God can grant you peace in such a storm. I know, because His Word promises this, and because I have experienced it myself. Philippians 4:6-7 says “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving and honor, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

God does not promise that we will have peaceful, easy lives. But He does promise to be with us through the storms and provide us a peace that is more powerful than anything we can understand.  My words could never sufficiently describe the peace God granted me during those moments of helplessness when my son was dying in the hospital. It truly transcends comprehension.

And this peace, God’s peace that surpasses our own human understanding, is available to all who seek it. Your grief can be a storm that feels overwhelming, but God’s peace will provide you the calm you so desperately need. Psalm 29:11 reminds us “the LORD gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.”

God’s Promises

When God makes a promise, He keeps it. His Word, the Holy Bible, contains all the promises we need to know. 1 Peter 1:4 says, “To an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in Heaven for you.” The promise of Heaven is one that God has made to His children. That will not change, because God never changes. His love for us is unwavering and His promises are enduring. You can be assured that what God has said, He will do. In your journey to overcome grief, cling to God’s promises. Trust in Him, and remember Hebrews 10:23, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”

RELATED RESOURCES:

• Understanding God's Faithfulness
• Living with Grief