“The losses we experience should be honored and remembered, not forgotten and tucked safely away where they cannot be seen.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – October 15, 2021
by Guest Writer Rachel Prince
(A Series: Second of Three)
The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace. Numbers 6:24-26, NIV
After we experience moments or seasons of loss, it is easy to feel the pressure of needing to “move on” or be “over it.” Yet grief has a way of lingering, tempting us to feel guilty or ashamed when it rears its head. As I mentioned in my previous devotional, I have spent several years walking through the grief and confusion of losing children to miscarriage, as well as the loss of my plans for a big family and the loss of the life I expected to have.
Grief is a fickle thing.
Many days I look at my three healthy children and feel overwhelming gratitude to God for this precious gift, and in the next moment grief will wash over me without a moment’s notice, bringing with it a swift punch to the gut and fresh reminder of what I have lost. It is in these moments that I am reminded afresh that grief is not a past experience from which I am entirely set free, but is a loss that becomes a part of the story of my life. And in an even bigger way, it is a way in which my personal story finds its home in God’s grand story of redemption. Elizabeth knew she was a part of a bigger story through her pregnancy with John and the pain of his death. Likewise, Mary knew she played such an important role in a bigger story as she bore God within her womb, raised him as her own beloved son, and then stood by in grief as he died upon the cross.
The losses we experience should be honored and remembered, not forgotten and tucked safely away where they cannot be seen.
We experience many different kinds of losses in life: loss of trust, loss of a loved one, loss of a career, loss of dreams. These longings and desires—to be whole, to be a part of something beautiful—are a good thing. They are not to be dismissed. They are given to us by God. They are inside of us because we are made for eternity, for Heaven, for communion with the Holy Trinity and with his saints. This is where our story is headed, our true home where our grief is healed and we are made whole again!
And so, what is the best thing we can do after loss? Remember. We remember God made us and that he loves us. We remember that we are broken, along with the world around us. As we remember, we point our faces toward the One who heals our wounds and dries our eyes. In our brokenness and in our pain, let us remember.
Prayer
Father, help us remember that you are good and near to us. Even in life’s moments of great pain and loss, we choose to believe that you are telling a good story and leading us to a glorious end, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Application
Take time today to prayerfully reflect upon the promises of God, placing your grief in the context of his grand story of redemption.
Related Reading
2 Chronicles 7:14; Isaiah 65:19; Revelation 21:4
Worship Resource
Bethany Barnard: Tears on Your Face
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