Grief

Grief

No one is exempt from pain, suffering and loss. In John 16:33 Jesus tells us, "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."

Sorrow and grief are a part of life. In Marilyn Willit Heavilin's book "When your Dreams Die" she defines grief as "...the process of facing the death of a dream." This is the best definition of grief I have found, because the death of a dream encompasses so many different kinds of losses.

What is the death of a dream? Well, of course, at the top of the list is the physical death of a loved one. This is the deepest of all grief but we grieve over many other "deaths" as well. In life we have expectations of how our lives and futures are supposed to be. We have expectations for our marriages, our families, our jobs and careers. There are deaths of the loss of health, the loss of an innocent childhood, the loss of dreams for children, the loss of finances, the loss of freedom. Today so many in Galveston, Texas are grieving the loss of all their possessions. The death of a dream comes in many forms.

We all grieve because a dream has died. Whether the dream has been shattered through a physical death or the death of a dream...in any loss, it is okay to grieve and you must grieve if healing is to take place in time. Most importantly you need to know that our God knows of your deep pain and feels your pain. But He doesn't stop there. God offers, hope, healing, strength and comfort.

Psalm 56:8 (NLT) You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.

Psalm 3434:18 (NLT) The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

Our God knows your pain; He has a special place in His heart for those who grieve, those in deep sorrow....who have shattered dreams...those who feel defeated. Trust God, put your confidence in Him, this is where the journey of healing begins.

Psalm 147:3 (NIV) He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Mary Ann Kiernan is our Intake Manager at the Colony of Mercy

UPCOMING EVENT
Mary Ann is one of the featured speakers at our 3rd Annual Family and Friends Addiction Seminar: Binding Up the Broken-Hearted. To learn more about grief please join us for a day designed to provide practical help for individuals in relationship with an addicted person. It is our desire to give hope to the hopeless and to encourage the discouraged. Saturday, October 11th, 2008. 8:00 am-3:30 pm Sponsored by America's Keswick - Addiction Recovery Ministries. It will be held at an off-campus location: Whiting Bible Church, 95 Lacey Rd., Whiting, NJ 08759. $25.00 per person includes continental breakfast, lunch and materials. Call today for reservations and directions 732.350.1187 x. 10.