The Timestamp of Grief

There is no timetable on grief and it’s impact on your life. How we process and feel it fluctuates over time but it is still not something that disappears.

Today, I took a walk in the misty rain where I discovered a very old cemetery with date markers in the 1800s. Maybe it was the reflective nature of my own grief - of late and always, but a question entered my mind. I wondered how the people around them felt when this person died - how did grief impact their life? How did their heartache present itself? If I talked to them today would they still acknowledge its sharpness?

Grief is different for each of us, but a friend recently reminded me that even though it is different, there is a thread that allows us to relate and comfort one another. This could be called empathy - but it is also part of being human. Because of our experience we can feel the depth of that emotion.

Interestingly, the Lenten devotional I read today was titled, Godly Grief. What does this mean? It means that even in our grief and heartache, God is with us. He walks with us and comforts us. This comfort last through many seasons, decades and generations.

What an encouraging reminder for this day.

No matter how fresh or distant your grief is today, God is with you. You are not alone in this experience and it still takes time.