Good Grief!!

For years I have struggled with the process of grieving. Loss came early in my life. My father died when I was just seven years old. More loss would follow, rapidly. My way of coping has ALWAYS been to "buck up," to "grin and bear it." It seemed that if I truly trusted God, I should never give in to grief, to feel the sting of loss, to crumple under the weight of sorrow. Yet burying my grief only meant it would consume me in a silent, unhealthy way. However, I am learning that even grief can bring God great glory. My most recent loss has been handled differently. I have allowed myself to hurt, I have rushed to God and to His people for comfort rather than stoically bearing up under my grief. As I woke this morning, I realized that this time I did it right -- I became weak! Below is a poem that I wrote this morning as I contemplated the process of grieving:

GOOD GRIEF!!

When grief consumes my heart and soul, when sorrow grows beyond control,
When clouds crowd out the light of day, it seems my faith is far away.
For surely I should never grieve -- why, joy is mine if I believe!
If God Himself is in control, why should sadness grip my soul?


And yet before He took His cross, the Son of God dealt with His loss
His grief was great; the angst and fears caused my Lord to shed great tears.
He did not bravely raise His chin, ignoring pain that gripped within.
He did not do it all alone. Instead He stormed His Father's throne.


He shook with fear to play His part, but still He sought His Father's heart,
And when at last his grief was done, His Father's will and His, now one,
With courage He could face His cross. His life He offered up as loss;
To gain what I can't comprehend -- the privilege to call me friend!


Who am I to bury pain, to loathe my grief with great disdain?
Oh no, to do so would be wrong! It's when I'm weak that He is strong.
It's when I've nothing left to give, through Jesus I can learn to live.
No, being weak is not a sin, that's just the time when God moves in.