Death of a child is considered by many to be the ultimate bereavement. It seems contrary to God’s plan and order that a child would pass before their parents. I think that is why people ask how I coped with the death of my six-year-old son, Andrew, almost seven years ago.
But for my personal journey with grief, and all the lessons that unfolded, the story began with the death of my mother in 1987.
I had just graduated from college and I was preparing for my wedding, there was a traumatic car accident, and my mom was dead. I was devastated and numb with grief.
The only way I knew how to grieve was to press into God and meditate on His word.
I memorized 2 Corinthians 2:2-4 and cried out to the Lord.
I read my Bible, attended church, and prayed. Even though my quiet times had become sporadic, I found comfort and reassurance in his presence.
It was through the comfort of the Holy Spirit that I began not just to know God, but to see Him. I saw His love for me not only in the ability to get through each day but in the love I received from others. This provided me with insight into the importance of human contact in grief. Keeping in touch with supportive people and avoiding isolation was vital for my healing. Reviewing the many sympathy cards provided another pathway for healing.
The Holy Spirit used many avenues to comfort me and prepare me for additional losses to come.
Five years after my mom’s fatal car accident, I was severely hurt in a car accident that left me with a traumatic brain injury. My recovery was long and arduous, especially for my husband.
Then the year before my oldest son was born, I received another phone call . . . Dad had died. When I gave birth to Matt, I felt as if he was born into grief because he had no grandparents. My hopes for my parents and children to have a relationship would never be realized. This served as a painful reminder of the loss of my parents.
It seemed as if the addition of Andrew helped complete our family. Matt was thrilled to become a big brother. While my two boys were a handful, I loved being a stay-at-home mom and actively participating in their lives, as did my husband.
Although we were acquainted with death and trauma, we were not prepared for the depth of pain that would occurred with the death of our child.
I call on the Lord in my distress, and he answers me. Psalm 120:1
#lossofachild #mypersonalgriefjourney #christianmomgriefjourney #complicatedgrief
To Be Continued . . .Part Two
Abbigail Kalaf MS, LPC, BCPCC
Abbigail is a mental health counselor in Raleigh, North Carolina
Healing through Rest
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
3/5/2021
Real hope in perilous times
Dee Lundgren M.A., L.P.C.
3/22/2020
The Craziness of Grief
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
9/14/2019
How I Almost Missed Out
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
8/23/2019
Weathering the Storms of Life
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
8/15/2019
Is There Purpose in Pain? (And Why it Matters)
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
4/27/2019
Good Grief
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
4/11/2019
The Truth About Grief (And How God Uses It for Our Good)
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
4/4/2019
Is It Ok for a Christian to be Depressed?
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
3/27/2019
The Truth about the Good Old Days
Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
3/22/2019
Do You Struggle with What God Allows?
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
3/13/2019
Keep Walking
Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
2/26/2019
Embrace Your Season
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
2/23/2019
How to Have Peace in a Chaotic World
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
2/12/2019
There's Always Hope
Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
2/5/2019
Prayer the Solution to a Common Condition
Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
1/29/2019
The Connection Between Health and Loss--My Personal Story
Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
1/22/2019
How Not to Be Cranky
Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
1/16/2019
Does God Promise Healing?
Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
1/8/2019
An Answer to a Desperate Prayer
Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
1/1/2019
Santa on Social Media?
Dee Lundgren, M.A., LPC
12/26/2018
5 Myths of Christmas
Dee Lundgren, M.A., LPC and Patricia Durgin
12/17/2018
7 Tips on Handling Family Drama (Proven Strategies)
Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
12/12/2018
God's Promise to the Weary
Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
12/4/2018
Hope for the Frazzled Part Two
Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
11/27/2018
Hope for the Frazzled
Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
11/20/2018
8 Pitfalls to Avoid being Stuck
Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
11/14/2018
Problems as Gifts
Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
11/5/2018
Breaking Free from Past Losses
Dee Lundgren, M.A., LPC and Patricia Durgin
10/30/2018
God's Bootcamp
Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
10/23/2018
Time Out
Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
10/16/2018
Freedom through Forgiveness
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
10/9/2018
What Not to Do When Dreams Turn to Nightmares
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
10/2/2018
God's Detours
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
9/25/2018
My Personal Grief Journey--Part 2
Abbigail Kalaf MS LPC BCPCC
9/11/2018
My Personal Grief Journey--Part 1
Abbigail Kalaf MS LPC BCPCC
9/4/2018
Where is God in the Storm?
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
8/28/2018
Getting to the Other Side of Grief
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
8/21/2018
Billy Graham's Insights on Grieving
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
8/14/2018
When Doing Right Turns Out Wrong
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
8/7/2018
The Connection between Clutter and Grief
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
7/31/2018
A Simple Quiz on Grief
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
7/24/2018
The #1 Gift to Give to a Grieving Friend
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
6/26/2018
10 Things Not to Say to a Grieving Person
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
6/19/2018
Do Christians Grieve Differently?
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
6/5/2018
Press on Toward the Goal
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
5/22/2018
From Brokenness to Wholeness Podcast
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
5/8/2018
The Blessing of Walking by Faith
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
5/1/2018
Grief Ten Years Later
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
1/20/2018
Welcome, My First Blog
Dee Lundgren MA LPC
1/19/2018