Death. We all face it. We all have dealt with it. And today, many are grieving as a result of it. So how do we grieve? How do we help others who are in the midst of their worst day ever? We allow them to grieve. We allow them to feel the emotions and say what they want and let them talk. We sit with them. We listen. Job lost everything. His friends came to be with him. Job 2:11-13 ESV Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him. And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven. And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great. For seven days and seven nights they didnt say a word. We are quick to want people to heal. Little Johnny has his dog run over and killed. Dont cry, Johnny. Well get you another one. I know how you feel, I lost a goldfish when I was your age. Dont cry? No, even Jesus wept at Lazarus tomb. We have been given the gift of crying to let the sadness and hurt out. We must allow people to cry until they are ready to stop. And we most know that each tear is precious to God. Get you a replacement? You have lost someone very close to your heart. You cant replace that person. Ever. You will always mourn the loss of them. I have a good friend who just lost her father. The next week she has a new grandson. The joy of the grandson is not replacing the grief of losing her father. They are separate. I know how you feel. No! You dont. You cannot know how someone actually feels when going through grief as each one of us is unique in that experience. Your emotions will run from sadness to anger to denial to acceptance to every range of emotion in you. People will blame themselves and blame God. It is the hardest time of their lives and please dont diminish their pain by trying to relate to them with your own. Dont ask what you can do to help. Help. If you are close enough to the people grieving, jump in and clean the house and wash the car and mow the lawn. Be helpful in any way that you can. Let them talk. They may say some crazy things. Let them. They may be selfish and the next minute extremely gracious. They dont know what to be. And neither do you. They dont need a Bible lesson right now so talk to God instead of them. All we can really do is acknowledge the loss. Tell them that you are sorry. Answer their questions with grace and humility. Then Shut Up. Listen. And pray. And pray and pray and pray. In a little while, they will act normal again. Its an act. They will be on the verge of tears. So you dont mention the persons name. . You dont want them to feel bad. They already feel bad. Now they feel strange and bad. Talk to your friends and mention the name. Will you get tears? In most cases yes you will. But you will be loving that person. And they will love you. I pray for those today who have suffered loss. I pray that those around them will be their comfort and Your arms, God. In Jesus Name
Posted on: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 11:33:01 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015