Overcoming the loss of loved ones can be a difficult experience. Loved ones will pass away as we journey through life. It is not if we will experience loss, but how will we handle it?
My parents called one evening and my father told me he had cancer. There was a surgery that delayed the spread of his cancer, but he died about eighteen months later. In the middle of his health crisis, my father held on to his faith in Jesus. This was the most important thing and the key that enabled my father and me to deal with his illness.
Naomi Experiences Great Loss
Naomi, her husband Elimelech, and their sons had moved from Israel to nearby Moab because of a drought in Israel. Some years later Naomi would suffer great loss.
Ruth 1:3 Then Elimelech died, and Naomi was left with her two sons. 4 The two sons married Moabite women. One married a woman named Orpah, and the other a woman named Ruth. But about ten years later, 5 both Mahlon and Kilion died. This left Naomi alone, without her two sons or her husband. [1]
Personally Overcoming Grief
I believe only the Lord can help us successfully deal with the loss of a loved one. This is not a type of wound that can be fixed instantly. Unfortunately, many in our society expect us to be over this grief in a couple months. As we turn to Jesus, He can heal us over time.
I found that spending time with the Lord in the book of Psalms each day for several months was immensely helpful. The Psalm writers were very honest with their emotions as they wrote. God’s shoulders are big enough for us to pour out our emotions. Be honest, God knows what you are feeling so there isn’t any reason to hide it.
Help to Overcome Loss
There is something about spending time in prayer and His Word that acts like medication. Over the months the wound of my father’s death was healed as I spent time with the Lord. You don’t need to use the Psalms but perhaps another part of Scripture will be more helpful to you. If you have a deep wound, come to the Lord in prayer and let Him guide you to the part of the Bible that He wants to use to heal you.
Matthew 11:28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”[2] To hear more about overcoming the loss of loved ones, listen here: https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/seeking-the-lord-changes-my-life-ruth-part-1
[1,2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.