Some Random Thoughts on Grief

Grief is a strange thing.  Dictionary.com defines it as "deep sorrow".

It comes in many different forms for many different reasons.

Everyone deals with grief in their own way.  One cannot dictate the grief of another.

Grief comes when your world changes.

Grief can bring up so many other feelings and issues.

You can grieve for yourself or for others.

Grief is not fun.

I'm talking about the grief that comes from lost dreams.  I know one thing.  Lost dreams can be found but only one way.  I found this version of 2 Corinthians 7:10-11 in the New Century Version.  I like that it gives us hope.

The kind of sorrow God wants makes people change their hearts and lives. This leads to salvation, and you cannot be sorry for that. But the kind of sorrow the world has brings death. See what this sorrow—the sorrow God wanted you to have—has done to you: It has made you very serious. It made you want to restore yourselves. It made you angry and afraid. It made you want to see me. It made you care. It made you want to do the right thing. In every way you have regained your innocence. 

When I first read it I loved it but I couldn't get my mind around that part where it says that this godly sorrow "made you angry and afraid".  Now I understand.  When this godly sorrow hits you, at first you become afraid that you screwed everything up - afraid that nothing will ever be right again.  Then you become angry with yourself for believing the lies that talked you into this thing in the first place and the lies that told you it must be kept secret and all the other lies used to keep you completely incapacitated.  The anger builds and before you realize it you're lashing out at people for no reason because you're being eaten up inside by this thing you call guilt - but in reality you are grieving your loss the best way you can and it begins to hurt those around you.  When you get to this point you are desperate.


It's when you allow this sorrow to make you want to see God that restoration begins to occur.  When you get to the point where you can't carry it anymore by yourself and you have to hand it over, that's when God steps in.  That's when you do the right thing.  That's when you regain your innocence.  Listen to His voice of love.  It's the most loving voice in the universe.  It's the voice of everlasting love...and restoration.  I believe He's saying I forgive you, now forgive yourself.


These are just some random, rambling thoughts.