No, I promise, you aren’t reading last week’s blog post!

You’re driving down the highway, and BAM! something hits your windshield. You are startled and realize it was a rock and notice a small chip in the windshield. A few days later you notice some cracks splintering out from that chip. You think, “I should have that fixed.”, but you continue on your way.

A couple of weeks later you get into your car to start out on your way and realize it is getting more and more difficult to see because the splintering cracks from that one small, but powerful rock, are making their way into your view. Overall making moving forward on the road more challenging for you.

This analogy goes well with grief too. When we don’t deal with grief, it may start out as one quite powerful blow to us, but when we ignore it, it will make moving forward harder.

Taking time for grief is crucial. I don’t mean just grief over a death. Grief over any loss. Jobs, friends, family, life change and the way things used to be, a move, a divorce…there are so many ways and things we grieve. What I know from experience is ignoring pain of any kind will show up. It may not seem big at first, but it will fester and grow, until like the small chip in the windshield, it eventually makes it hard to move forward until you fix it.

Until you take time to feel your feelings. Journal them out. Talk to God about them. Seek out a Christian counselor to guide you through the process. Whatever you need to process grief. AND here’s the kicker. It’s not a one and done thing. Grief is tricky. You deal with a bit of it and things are good and then BAM! out of nowhere (just like the rock) you get hit again. If you don’t stop and deal with it, it will begin to splinter out into all areas of your life.

Here are a few tips for processing grief of any kind:
1. Journal – the good, bad, ugly. All of it out on paper – anger, tears….let it all come. I like to do this as a prayer to God telling Him all the feelings because I know He wants to heal me.

2. Christian counseling – I am a HUGE proponent of counseling – let a trained professional guide you through and open your eyes to see more clearly – but also just be a witness to your grief and sit with you in it.

3. Cry – allow those ugly tears – sometimes the easiest way for me to start this is yelling to God my grief and if needed pounding on a pillow and opening up the pathways to experience the sadness hidden deep down.

Whatever you need to do, I know God wants you to be holy and whole, and He wants to be with you in your grief. Allow Him to, and allow yourself grace to feel what you need to feel and fix those cracks before they get bad enough to prevent you from moving forward in the life God has for you.

Father God,
Help me make time for grief and help me trust You to sit with me in it. Guide me to anyone I may need to see professionally to help me and help these parts of me heal. Let me release judgement that I should have been past things and just allow You to help me feel what needs felt and release the grief to you each time it comes up – without judgment or a timeline.
All to you, In Jesus’ Name,
Amen

© 2024 All Rights Reserved. Susan M. Clabaugh with Encouragement in Daily Living LLC