Blessed are They That Mourn...

Grief can be a hard thing to deal with... one moment the world seems hard with all the little trials of life and then something really big happens and you wonder why any of it mattered to you before... Everyone deals with grief differently.  Some sob and cry aloud; others find something practical to do and throw themselves in, expending their sorrow in the energy of honest work; others do similarly, but express themselves in a seemingly unrelated work of art (be it musical literary, or drawing); still others have to express what they are feeling in words; and others mourn quietly, knowing that time, tears, and God will heal the inexpressible hurt.

None of the roads of grief are wrong... God has instilled in each one of us ways of coping with our sorrow - don't be afraid to express what you are feeling. Cry when you need to, hug the people around you and keep loving them, because life is short and we need to embrace every opportunity to love.

I was thinking of some verses that may help you when dealing with grief... turn them into prayers - turn your tears into prayers... your tears are precious to God because He loves you oh so much.

Surely He has borne our griefs

And carried our sorrows;

(Isaiah 53:4)

You number my wanderings;

Put my tears into Your bottle;

Are they not in Your book?

(Psalm 56:8)

Blessed are those who mourn,

    For they shall be comforted.

(Matthew 5:4)

Fear not, for I am with you;

Be not dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you,

Yes, I will help you,

I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

(Isaiah 41:10)

Remember the word to Your servant,

Upon which You have caused me to hope.

This is my comfort in my affliction,

For Your word has given me life.

(Psalm 119:49-50)

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

(I Thessalonians 4:13-18)

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

(1 Peter 5:6-7)

One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.  For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.”

(Pslam 27:4-5)

“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?  Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.  Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?  As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;

we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

(Romans 8:31-39)

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

(John 14:1-4)

" 'He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Thankyou Lord Jesus!

In memory of Shannen, who at seventeen is experiencing the glories many Christians spend decades only dreaming of... we would not call you back from bliss, sweetheart, but we are coming to join you oneday at the feet of our Jesus who has restored you to better health than was possible here on earth... we love you. xxx