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by Bob and Debby Gass
Growing Through Loss and Change (3)
June 18, 2010
‘A time to gain, and a time to lose...’ Ecclesiastes 3:6 NKJV
Grief counsellors have given us a healing process for working through our losses known as the ‘grief cycle’. It includes five stages: (1) Shock, sometimes called denial. Our initial reaction is, ‘This can’t be happening. I don’t believe it.’ We’re numb, incredulous, in a kind of stupor. (2) Anger. We cry, ‘It’s not fair! What did I do to deserve this? How could God let this happen? I have been a Christian all my life!’ (3) Bargaining. ‘I’ll do anything if you’ll change this. Save my loved one and I’ll serve you for the rest of my life!’ (4) Depression. ‘There’s nothing left worth living for. I wish I could fall asleep and never wake up again!’ (5) Acceptance. ‘Somehow life must go on. I’ve got my family to think of, so I have to try again.’ The intensity, duration and order of these stages vary from person to person. You may re-experience any stage until the work of that stage is completed. But when you’ve finished your divinely appointed grief work, you’re ready to ‘…heal…laugh…dance…embrace…love…[find] peace…’ (Ecclesiastes 3:3-8 NKJV) You’re ready for God’s new beginning! Israel had wept over Moses for thirty heart-rending days till ‘the days of weeping and mourning… ended.’ (Deuteronomy 34:8 NKJV) The mourning wasn’t avoided or shortened. It was worked through and completed; then they were ready for the future God had planned for them. ‘Moses My servant is dead..,’ you’ve grieved him in a healthy way. Now you’re ready to join Joshua and ‘…arise, go over this Jordan…to the land which I am giving to [you]…’ (Joshua 1:2 NKJV) When you complete your grief, you continue your growth!
SoulFood: Hosea 6-10, Luke 1:39-56, Ps 139:7-12, Pr 13:24
The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright © 2010
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