A Healing Moment - Grief and Sorrow by Anne Buchanan - The Herbs Place

Grief and Sorrow
From the book, "Healing In His Wings," by Anne Buchanan, Ph.D., M.H.
Used by Permission from Author

They will be like a well-watered garden, and they will sorrow no more. Then maidens will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow. (Jeremiah 31:12-13 NIV)

How do you handle disappointment, sadness, and regrets? Some people stay locked in their grief and bound by their sorrow all their life. The wound in their soul and emotions remains unhealed, and they never engage fully with life again. Instead, they live with a piece of themselves that is dead and lifeless. Frequently, this leads to illness and disease. Grief can actually depress the immune system; sorrow can cause constrictions in blood vessels decreasing blood flow to organs and cells. There are often cases of spouses who have lived many years together and who die within months of each other. The grief of the surviving spouse was so overwhelming as to have a catastrophic effect both body and spirit.

Take a look at your life. Are you carrying some sorrow or grief? It may be for a person you loved and who has died. Or it may be a sorrow for something you missed when you were growing up. It is very common for people growing up in seriously dysfunctional families to carry grief for not being loved as they needed to be loved. There is also grief for a life situation that you missed. You may have longed to be married and grieve over never having found a spouse – or you may have longed to be a parent and grieve over never having had children.

When we suffer a great loss, there is a time to mourn and to grieve. A strong love deserves strong grief. But at some point we have to offer our grief to God. Grief can provide a hiding place and give us an excuse to withdraw from life. It takes courage to give our grief to God, to let go of the past, and to become fully engaged in the present. God has a mission and a purpose for us, and we cannot fulfill it if we are looking backward to the way things were and to bemoan the way things might have been.

Are you willing to let go of your grief? God promises to turn your mourning into gladness and to give you comfort and joy instead of sorrow. God is always with you and He wants you to live and to fulfill His purpose for your life.

Almighty God, I have grieved long enough. Turn my mourning into gladness. Give me comfort and joy. Fill my body with Your healing blessing. In the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen.