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Thessalonians 4:13 We do not want you to be uninformed,
brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who
have no hope.
Scripture is our guide
through grief. It affirms our need to grieve and recognizes the disruption of
life and the complex of emotions that are experienced. Overcoming grief is a
process, a journey that we can help guide the person through. Personal contact,
emotional release, talking, faith, prayer and community become are the tools
establishing hope.
Personal contact helps take
away the solitude and allows hope to be expressed through the concerns of
others. Personal contact helps soften the heartbreak by showing the bereaved
they are not alone in their suffering.
Allowing the bereaved to
experience their emotions is critical to their recovery. Emotions affect the
way people think and act. Awareness of their grief and sorrow becomes a
valuable way to enhance life, understand the future and develop the stamina
needed to achieve new goals.
Talking can be used to communicate
assurance of their hopes in spite of the loss and reinforce positive attitudes
about the past. Hope grows from focusing on future experiences as they replace
of past memories.
Faith is the assurance of
things hoped for, the certainty of things not seen. Anxiety is the uncertainty
about the present or future. Helping others see anxiety in terms of faith helps them see new possibilities and hopes
for the future.
Prayer leads the bereaved in
overcoming erroneous thoughts and emotions. The mistaken belief that they can control
life’s events often leads to desperation and guilt. Prayer helps the bereaved
understand that their needs and hopes are met in a God who cares for them.
The individual's suffering
can be eased as the community willingly shares in their burdens, loneliness and
sorrow. The bereaved regains hope in realizing that they are not alone in their
grief. The Christian community helps the bereaved see God’s presence in these
moments of loss.
