I wrote this post last year, when I was in the deepest part of the pain that comes when you lose a parent right before the holidays and you’re dreading all the firsts without them.
Today I just want to share that if you’re struggling with grief, on this National day of gratitude (Thanksgiving) that’s ok.
It doesn’t make you ungrateful for what remains.
Grief is a very real emotion and it’s a hard one to go through.
Give yourself some time and space.
And reach out to someone if you need to.
Above all, pray. (Talk to Jesus.)
It’s the only thing that really helps us get through.
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Anyone else find themselves scrolling to fill, scrolling to feel today?
Yeah. I have been too.
Truth is, it never works.
And yet, I keep searching anyway.
Until my scrolling leads me to a friend’s reminder of what I’m really after. Comfort. And the good kind only comes from one place. Christ.
Truth is- this year, this season is weird.
Hard.
Actually, I think life just is.
And the holidays seem to accentuate all the “feels”.
Chaos, mixed with moments of peace;
eager anticipation, mixed with moments of agony;
a desire for things to remain forever,
mixed with reminders that they change too fast…
As I deal with grief this holiday season,
and a deep sense of loss,
I realize now, more than ever,
how important God’s people,
{His hands and His feet} are for those of us who remain on Earth…
Hands that hug.
That hold.
That give a reassuring grip on your shoulder.
Feet that come over,
spend time with you,
force you to get up out of your seat and interact.
Eyes that see past the scrolling,
and the sullenness,
and KNOW you’re not trying to be antisocial.
You are just feeling a deep sense of loss, and your flesh is trying to fill it…
Fingers that type,
mouths that speak…
and remind us of the truth.
It’s OK.
It’s ok to not be ok.
It’s ok to have those holes.
Nobody needs you to be whole, for them.
Sometimes we are just going to FEEL more hole-y than holy.
And that, my friend, is ok.
We don’t have to fix it. In fact we can’t.
No amount of scrolling is going to give us the substance our souls are searching for.
Tonight, I needed a friend’s post to
snap me back into reality…
that when all else fails {to satisfy that deep, deep longing, the void in our souls}, God does not…
Maybe you needed that reminder too.
If so, I pray my ability to relate
is a comfort to your heart. 💗
And now… I think I’ll log off for just a few days, so God can help me get filled with the comfort only He can give, in the quiet place we enter when we shut the virtual world off…
Wishing you comfort and joy this Thanksgiving, friends, & praying for His peace in you, that fills all the holes. I’m so thankful for all the people, near and far, virtual and in-person, who God has given me to do life with.
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