Grief takes time

We’ve all experienced loss in some form or another. Some are blessed enough to have not experienced loss of a close loved one yet in their lives. Loss creates a void in us. A hole where their love once sat, until they were unable to love us anymore. Sometimes grief can overtake us. It hurts so bad when that happens, but the good news is we’re not alone in our suffering, for Jesus experienced loss too.

The most commonly talked about grief Jesus experienced is when his good friend Lazarus passed away while Jesus was on the way to visit him. Though Jesus knew his friend would pass before he got there, Jesus still cried and mourned. That’s a very human emotion!

But what about John the Baptist? John was Jesus’ cousin. They grew up together. John was persecuted and died while Jesus was starting his ministry. Jesus would have had to go through that grief too.

A lot of the time we want to put our grief in a box and hold it there while we “get better,” or to only revisit it when we are alone. But grief is not linear. Grief can be brought up with triggers. When this happens it’s important to look at the grief and trigger and not hide from it. Feel all the emotions. It hurts more to let it sit in your heart unchecked until it explodes out of its box.

Matthew 14:13-14

“When Jesus heard about John, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.”

Jesus wanted space to mourn. But the thing about Jesus is while he sought healing from the Father for his heart, he also helped others, like it says here in verse 14

“When the crowds learned this, they followed him on foot from the cities. When Jesus arrived and saw a large crowd, he had compassion for them and healed those who were sick.”

You don’t have to feel like you need to be like Jesus and immediately get back to ministry when dealing with grief. Take your time, share what you are dealing with as well because processing out loud is beneficial as well.

Challenges and questions of the week:

Are you dealing with grief? What triggers have brought the grief to the surface?

Know that you are not alone and you can ask God to help you in this time. If you need someone to process your grief with, contact a trusted family member, therapist, or pastor. You can also email me at jadenpratt1999@gmail.com

Song of the week:

Believe for it- Cece Winans