Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted (Matt 5:4).
That first year after John’s death was rough. The second year was at least as painful. And the third year a few rays of sunshine began to peak through. In the months immediately following the death of my 22-year old son to suicide, I wished for the pain to end.
I wanted God to take the sorrow away. How long was the grief going to last? It felt like the grief itself was my new problem. Or was it?
Let me explain by giving a dog analogy.
Haylee, our golden retriever pup, thinks her problem is the cone. It’s the gift the vet gives dogs after going under the knife making them neither male or female. The plastic cone of shame is attached to the collar making it impossible for the dog to lick his stiches. And Haylee has been crying most of the day.
Haylee is not only recovering from being neutered, but I believe she is clinically depressed. If she could speak she would be using foul language. Today, I found Haylee’s head buried in my husband’s closet between his hanging shirts. Uncharacteristically aloof, she wouldn’t even turn when I called.
If I could communicate with Haylee, I think it would help. I’d explain the purpose of the cone. And I’d assure her that the cone is temporary. In a week, it will be hauled away by the trash truck.
This whole cone/dog thing reminds me of some of my struggles in life.
I’ve had conversations with Jesus asking Him to fix a circumstance I view as a barrier to my happiness.
When He doesn’t, my self-talk can be filled with whining and self-pity. Especially about problems I don’t see a purpose for. I pray for God to remove these obstacles.
I especially desired for Him to take away my grief after the my son’s death. At times I believed the problem was my overwhelming sadness.
From God’s perspective, I believe He allows heartache to run its course so that we can heal.
Often when I’m counseling others in the midst of grief, their chief concern is their overwhelming negative emotions. Perhaps it’s the crushing sadness after a divorce, loss of a family member, or some other disappointment with life. What we often don’t realize is that the processing of these difficult emotions will ultimately bring about hope and healing.
No one likes the emotional pain that occurs after we experience loss. Most of us would rather just move forward leaving sad emotions behind.
Grief doesn’t work that way. We need to go through the grief process and feel in order to heal.
Grief, like Haylee’s cone, isn’t the problem. It’s there for a reason.
Grief is God’s way of bringing us to a better place.
So let us embrace the grief journey together.
Is there some problem that you are asking God to remove? Could it be God’s way of bringing about your ultimate hope and healing?
***Sign-up on the Home Page to receive these weekly blogs.***
Real hope in perilous times
3/22/2020 1:40:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren M.A., L.P.C.
The Craziness of Grief
9/14/2019 4:00:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
How I Almost Missed Out
8/23/2019 7:45:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
Weathering the Storms of Life
8/15/2019 3:00:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
Is There Purpose in Pain? (And Why it Matters)
4/27/2019 8:05:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
Good Grief
4/11/2019 1:00:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
The Truth About Grief (And How God Uses It for Our Good)
4/4/2019 11:03:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
Is It Ok for a Christian to be Depressed?
3/27/2019 3:10:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
The Truth about the Good Old Days
3/22/2019 10:13:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
Do You Struggle with What God Allows?
3/13/2019 4:15:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
Keep Walking
2/26/2019 8:15:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
Embrace Your Season
2/23/2019 1:13:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
How to Have Peace in a Chaotic World
2/12/2019 9:06:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
There's Always Hope
2/5/2019 3:00:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
Prayer the Solution to a Common Condition
1/29/2019 5:09:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
The Connection Between Health and Loss--My Personal Story
1/22/2019 12:00:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
How Not to Be Cranky
1/16/2019 11:30:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
Does God Promise Healing?
1/8/2019 1:41:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
An Answer to a Desperate Prayer
1/1/2019 7:00:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
Santa on Social Media?
12/26/2018 9:02:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren, M.A., LPC
5 Myths of Christmas
12/17/2018 3:05:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren, M.A., LPC and Patricia Durgin
7 Tips on Handling Family Drama (Proven Strategies)
12/12/2018 9:35:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
God's Promise to the Weary
12/4/2018 9:24:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
Hope for the Frazzled Part Two
11/27/2018 3:30:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
Hope for the Frazzled
11/20/2018 12:00:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
8 Pitfalls to Avoid being Stuck
11/14/2018 8:00:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
Problems as Gifts
11/5/2018 10:55:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
Breaking Free from Past Losses
10/30/2018 8:30:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren, M.A., LPC and Patricia Durgin
God's Bootcamp
10/23/2018 8:35:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
Time Out
10/16/2018 8:50:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
Freedom through Forgiveness
10/9/2018 8:06:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
What Not to Do When Dreams Turn to Nightmares
10/2/2018 8:35:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
God's Detours
9/25/2018 9:00:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
My Personal Grief Journey--Part 2
9/11/2018 8:20:00 AM by: Abbigail Kalaf MS LPC BCPCC
My Personal Grief Journey--Part 1
9/4/2018 8:05:00 AM by: Abbigail Kalaf MS LPC BCPCC
Where is God in the Storm?
8/28/2018 10:30:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
Getting to the Other Side of Grief
8/21/2018 9:25:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
Billy Graham's Insights on Grieving
8/14/2018 9:00:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
When Doing Right Turns Out Wrong
8/7/2018 11:20:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
The Connection between Clutter and Grief
7/31/2018 8:34:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
A Simple Quiz on Grief
7/24/2018 8:30:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
The #1 Gift to Give to a Grieving Friend
6/26/2018 9:04:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
10 Things Not to Say to a Grieving Person
6/19/2018 9:00:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
Do Christians Grieve Differently?
6/5/2018 8:25:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
Press on Toward the Goal
5/22/2018 11:30:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
From Brokenness to Wholeness Podcast
5/8/2018 10:10:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
The Blessing of Walking by Faith
5/1/2018 1:20:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
Grief Ten Years Later
1/20/2018 1:35:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
Welcome, My First Blog
1/19/2018 11:08:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
