Grief
GRIEF - JESUS IS OUR ONLY HOPE
We sat in a circle. Sixteen of us, four men and twelve women. We were folks from various walks of life, ages ranging from mid 30’s to mid 60’s. We had very little in common, except for one thing – we had all lost a child. It was a meeting of The Compassionate Friends, a grief support group for bereaved parents.
The meeting began as most support groups do. We gave our name and the reason we were there – we were all grieving the loss of a child. Some gave detailed accounts of the way their child died, how long it had been and how they were dealing with their grief. Some chose to say very little, and some could hardly speak at all. The ages of the children ranged from infants to adults. The causes of death were from accidents, diseases and suicide. In this group of sixteen people, nearly half were there because their child had taken their own life, an astonishing fact. My daughter, Stacey was killed in a car accident, and the grief has been horrendous. I can’t imagine the pain associated with losing a child from suicide, and I was overwhelmed by the fact that so many young people take their own lives.
My input at the meeting was to give my testimony of the way Jesus had supernaturally intervened when Stacey died, and to tell them that only by His love and grace had I been able to survive her death. I wanted to assure them that Jesus would do the same for them. Although this was not called a Christian meeting, I was thrilled to see that all in attendance were Christians. They all stated that only by the grace of God had they survived the death of their children. Several in attendance had lost their child within the past year, and naturally their grief level was most intense. It was the consensus of the group that we did not know how anyone could survive such a tragedy without the love of Jesus. You who have experienced the loss of a loved one know that is so true.
It was obvious that everyone at the meeting had two objectives in common: One, they want to make sure that their child is never forgotten, and two, they want to find ways to help others who have suffered such a loss. We have all discovered that helping others heal helps us heal. I left the meeting wishing that more bereaved parents could have been there, for there is help to be found in sharing with other parents who have been through this terrible ordeal, especially when they know it was Jesus who held them up and carried them through. We know – I know – that we must depend on Jesus day by day, minute by minute, to keep going. We want others to know Him, too.
Occasionally, someone will ask me of a ministry they can support. The Compassionate Friends is a group most definitely worthy of your prayers and financial support. All chapters are headed by a group of dedicated folks who want nothing more than to help other bereaved parents. If you are interested in more information, please let me know and I will put you in contact with them. All you have to do is watch or read the news to realize how many parents are grieving the loss of a child. They are in need of Christian love and support. With the knowledge of the saving grace of Jesus Christ, we do not have to be burdened with hopeless grief.
“BROTHERS, WE DO NOT WANT YOU TO BE IGNORANT ABOUT THOSE WHO FALL ASLEEP, OR TO GRIEVE LIKE THE REST OF MEN, WHO HAVE NO HOPE. WE BELIEVE THAT JESUS DIED AND ROSE AGAIN AND SO WE BELIEVE THAT GOD WILL BRING WITH JESUS THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN ASLEEP IN HIM.” [1 Thessalonians 4:13-14].
It is the resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ that gives us hope. Amen.
DR. SAM SMITH BUTTERFLY MINISTRY
[email protected]
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