The Storm of Grief
There are no words that can adequately describe the grief and mourning that follows the death of a child. The most descriptive analogy is that of a storm that comes with no warning and never ceases. Suddenly the world that has been so bright and promising is now dark and desolate. The darkest clouds ever completely surround you. Relentless lightning bolts stun your entire being without warning. Tornadoes swoop in and rip you from all the love and hope you have ever known, swirling and churning as you try to gasp for air. Thunder roars constantly, deafening any thoughts or words of comfort or peace. Torrential rains are raging within you and burst as uncontrollable tears. The raging winds knock you down every time you struggle to get up.
The intense pain from the storm seems unbearable as no light can be seen to signify an ending or even a break in the storm. There is no shelter from the storm; the harder you struggle to get away from the storm, the more intense it becomes. The storm must be endured. The sadness and pain will always remain - there will come a time that the pain will become more bearable.
The courage you acquire from enduring the storm enables you to confront your sorrow. The gift of comfort from friends, family, and faith will start to be heard over the roar of thunder. Strength from the love of the Lord and the love of your friends and family will help to calm the tornadoes from churning so fiercely and provide you with peace. The blessing of love you have for the one you have lost and those remaining, will show you the breaks in the clouds and allow the sun to shine through at least for a little while at a time. There will even be an occasional rainbow to bring you hope. There will come a time that loving memories will bring out the sun and help to calm the storm.
The personal growth that develops through persevering the storms leads to building our character in ways that we cannot even imagine, and may not realize for years to come. The Lord provides the love and hope to carry us through the storms so the memories will some day bring joy.
Find Healing Through God
I have had a significant struggle with the concept of healing. Through this struggle, I have come to the conclusion that there is a significant difference between the meaning of the words "Healed" and "Healing".
Although I do not expect to be "healed" or find anything that will completely fix my brokenness, I believe there are many types and occurrences of "Healing" that help develop a new way to deal with the pain of the wounds. We may never be restored to
complete soundness because a huge part of life is no longer here, but healing enables us to find ways to function in daily life; we may never be fixed, cured, repaired, or unbroken, but healing can help us find ways to prepare for the immense pain that sometimes seems to come from nowhere at any given time.
True healing occurs little-by-little, when we are able to use God's strength to bring
our Love, Hope & Faith to work together in Harmony. This "healing" is a gift from God, using His strength.
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