10-25-24

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING
October 25, 2024
What does it mean when someone says, “It is important to grieve in a healthy way?” When we go through a time of loss, whether that is the death of someone we love, the death of a beloved pet, a dramatic change in a relationship, or even a change in our life circumstances, it is important to know that we need to grieve. So often, we associate grief with a funeral, and that is part of the process of grieving, but what happens when we lose a job? There is not a ritual, like a funeral, to help us along the way. What about a divorce? It feels like a death, but you often have to see the reminder of that loss on a regular basis, especially if children are involved. Life is complicated, and how we deal with change or an unexpected goodbye defines how we navigate the loss. A friend went through a divorce, and she talked about how important the church was in her healing, but she was a teacher, and her colleagues planned third Fridays for her. On the third Friday of the month, a bunch of teachers would go out for dinner, and they would laugh and cry late into the evening. One of those teachers would drop her a card of encouragement in the mail every two weeks or so. It usually said something as simple as, “You’ve got this because you’ve got friends.” When a friend or family member is going through a challenging time, we convince ourselves that we must have the right words to help them in the grief. More often than not, it is our presence and a little gesture that communicates, “I will be here no matter what might come your way.”

Continue to encourage me to honor the process of grief, O Merciful and Healing God, whether that be my own grief or the grief of someone I call a friend. Amen.