Comfort for Today
Photo by Jake Edwards
Wherever you are or whatever you are experiencing in your grief right now, there is a never-ending source of comfort available to you. If you are in deep despair, it might not seem possible. But hope and comfort are within your grasp. PLEASE continue reading.
After our son died, and the chasm of grief swallowed me into its dark and lonely pit I was lost. Emotionally, each waking day took me on a roller coaster I had not signed up for. My body ached from head to toe. I couldn’t focus, and my stomach was upset most of the time. Food didn’t taste good. The stability of my faith was shaken with the force of an 8.5 on the Richter scale.
“Grief is not a disorder, a disease, or a sign of weakness. It is an emotional, physical , and spiritual necessity;
the price you pay for love. The only cure for grief is to grieve.”
Earl Grollman
As Earl Grollman writes, I was grieving emotionally, physically, and spiritually. But there were a couple things I knew I needed in order to survive. That survival required the actions of my own choices in my grief.
1. I needed to take care of myself so I could continue to be a mom to an adorable little girl, Dawson’s younger sister, Joanna. The one thing I could do in this area of my broken-hearted existence was to get some outdoor exercise every day. I chose walking. And it always helped me feel better, if even for just a few moments of my day. Comforting? Yes!
2. I needed to take care of my emotions that rain riotous in my soul with the capacity to disable me. The one thing that made the difference for me was to put my pain on paper. I called it journaling then, but now I call it Putting Your Stuff On Paper. And it worked! I could feel some relief for my emotional pain, questions, and fears. Comforting? Yes!
3. I needed to wrestle with God. My spiritual world had toppled. Remnants of strong beliefs I once had, lay in heaps in my mind and heart. The one thing I knew was that God’s love was not measured by my pain or circumstances. His love was everlasting and real even in my pain. When I encountered His promise to heal my broken heart, (Psalms 147:3) I took him up on it. I then began discovering that for every part of my grief journey, God already had shown up with comfort that was scattered throughout Scripture! Comforting? Healing? Absolutely!
Choose the Comfort that Works for You
Is there one survival choice that resonates with you? You have what it takes to make that choice to move from surviving to thriving. There are choices you can make today that will open your capacity to experience comfort for the sorrow and pain that this day holds for you. Here are a couple more:
To help you experience comfort for each day of your grief, we have written a book entitled, Comfort for the Day. In this book, the reader is supported and comforted with Scripture that applies to your broken heart. It is designed for you to Put Your Stuff on Paper and feel the relief from the relentless and confusing pain. It is your supportive and comforting guide for your grief.
In addition, we have designed an online video series, Grief You Have Options, that will also guide you through your grief with supportive comfort. The engaging and relatable videos are encouraging countless people already. You too can begin to move forward in your grief. Taking action to read a book or engage in a video series is within your capacity to welcome comfort and healing into your day, one day at a time, one step at a time. Let your comfort begin TODAY.
© Karen Nicola/ Comfort for the Day 2020
