One day on the way to work I saw a bible verse on the back of a car, it said Joshua 1:9. Then when I arrived at work I noticed that it was also Joshua 1:9 on my calendar of verses for the day so I carefully read the verse…
“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.””
Joshua 1:9 NLT
Recently I had been struggling with fear and discouragement. I had started volunteering as a leader in Griefshare, helping others who have experienced the loss of a spouse. As I began this journey, I noticed that I was feeling very sad, even experiencing some more grief over the loss of my husband over 5 years ago. This was strange to me as I had spent many months grieving his loss. I was discouraged that I was feeling so sad again and also fearful of how I could possibly minister to anyone else who was hurting from their own loss.
As I pondered the verses before me I began to see some wonderful truths that the Lord had taught me through my grieving and the healing that is still ongoing.
First of all, I believe that it takes a lot of courage to walk through grief instead of avoiding it. Jesus has provided the courage, but I had to choose to be courageous first. I had to face the giant of grief, pain and loss in order to be healed. Easy, no!
Second, the strength that Joshua needed came from trusting the Lord to provide exactly what he needed to do what God was calling him to do. I can trust in the Lord to help me be strong and bravely reach out to others who are hurting, helping me to love them, even when I feel totally inadequate.
If you have suffered the loss of a loved one, I would tell you that I am so sorry for your loss. I want to encourage you to check out the Griefshare program here at VCNP. You will find many loving people who will help you through this difficult journey while pointing you to Jesus, the only one who can truly heal your heart and give you a new purpose to live for.
“Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion because of the greatness of his unfailing love.”
Lamentations 3:32 NLT
God bless!
Linda Hopkins
Thank you Linda, I’ve found He is our Strength
Transparent and helpful. Many years ago I went to a grief group–I saw everyone get to a much better place after being in the group (at the beginning it really didn’t look very hopeful or possible).
I always hear great things about Griefshare. Thanks Linda!