“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)
A strong love deserves strong grief.
How do we 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 their emotions remains unhealed, and they never engage fully with life again. Instead, they live with a piece of themselves that is dead and lifeless. I believe this can lead 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. I have seen this firsthand, on more than one occasion. The grief of the surviving spouse was so overwhelming as to have a catastrophic effect on both body and spirit.
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 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.
But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31
When we suffer a great loss, there is a time to mourn and to grieve. A strong love deserves strong grief. At some point we have to offer our grief to God. The grief process is different for everyone. It takes time. Maybe a long time. Lean into God with his hope and promises. It takes courage to give our grief to God. He has a mission and a purpose for us, and we can not fulfill it if we are looking backward to the way things were and are lamenting the way things might have been.
God promises to turn our mourning into gladness and to give us comfort and joy instead of sorrow. He is always with us and wants us to live and to fulfill His purpose for our lives. Be patient with yourself, and always look up. God loves us more than we can ever imagine.
This reflection I’ve written today, inspired by my morning reading from Jeremiah 31 and also insights from the book, “Healing in His Wings” by Anne B. Buchanan
Naturally Renewed 
Thanks for sharing your thoughts they really touched my heart .It takes time to process grief but your words encourage those of us left behind that it’s ok to move on. And praise God he holds them and us while we wait to join them.
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