Life with Grief

When we lose someone we love, we grieve. Grief is normal, not a sign of weakness. Its raw emotions may eventually fade, but the scars of grieving can linger for a long time in our hearts and minds. Studies have shown that caregivers’ stress levels remain high even three years after caregiving duties end. When we lose the person we’ve cared for, we experience trauma to all dimensions of our life—physical, emotional, and spiritual. Grief can wreak havoc with our emotions. At times, we may feel closer to God and more spiritually open than ever before. At other times, we may express anger, even outrage, at God. Or we may feel cut off from God altogether. Our time of grief can be a time to strengthen our faith. Talking with a minister or spiritual advisor helps us to examine the feelings we experience. But we need to be gentle with ourselves—for we’re very fragile in times of grief. It’s nice to know that God understands. Everyone grieves in a unique way, but God stands with us during each step of this process. He’s waiting for us with His love and joy.