Grief. One of the more difficult parts of the human experience. Everyone goes through it at some point. The end of a relationship, loss of a job, death of a loved one. Grief hits us all.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Matthew 5:4

The difficult thing about grief is we don’t know how it will hit us. Everyone is different and every situation is different. Especially when it comes to death.

Unfortunately, we all die. It is the way of life. For some, death comes expectantly. After a long illness or at the end of a lifetime. While grieving these deaths still is not easy, they generally come with a sense of peace as the person is no longer in pain.

When death comes unexpectedly or prematurely, that’s when the grieving process is more difficult. It’s more than just the person’s past life that you grieve, but also the future they no longer have. Or at least the future you expected them to have.

We set certain expectations in life but it is God who has the master plan. He knows the number of breaths we will take and sometimes they end before we are ready. It can be devastating, especially for those who are left behind to make sense of it.

Of course, we all grieve in different ways. There isn’t going to be any one way to experience it and every situation will be different.

Grief doesn’t follow any guidelines. It rears its ugly head when we least expect it. Or it appears in a way we weren’t ready for.

God Understands Grief

But God understands the mourning process and will comfort us in times of pain.

The bible says “blessed be those who mourn.” It doesn’t shun grief and say we shouldn’t feel it. It doesn’t say grieving is bad. It says those who grieve will be comforted.

In other words, we can accept grief as a difficult process but not a lonely one. God will be with us. Through every holiday, birthday and memory, God will still be there. And He wants to be there.

Leaning on God is the best way to start dealing with grief. There are many other ways and people you can talk to but God should be the first one we turn to. He will provide the best comfort, especially in those lonely moments.

If you’ve recently lost someone or experienced a difficult life event, take time to mourn it. Turn to God, let his comfort surround you and fill you with peace. Even if your loss is years old, God still wants to comfort you in times of sadness.

If you know someone who is going through stages of grief, pray for them. Pray for God’s overwhelming peace and comfort to surround them in their time of pain. Remember grief is normal. It is to be expected. To mourn is to remember and God will comfort those who mourn!