Comfort for the Day

– 8 – Through it all, trusting God with the timing and assurance of His healing will help put you back on your feet again. Never does the cry for God’s help go unheeded. He is anxious to bring you the help you need. He is your best source of support for all your grieving experiences. Anger: An Unsettling Reality Death is a hard hitting loss of control. This often expresses itself through anger. Many find themselves surprised with angry emotions. We would be extremely reluctant to admit to anyone that we are angry at the one who just died and/or at God. It was a warm afternoon. Our daughter wasn’t napping. I was frustrated. No! Actually, I was angry. So after the 4 th or 5 th time I put her back into her crib, I went to my own bed and started to journal. I wrote that I was angry at little Joanna for not napping. I was angry at Steve for going back to work. I was angry at Dawson for dying and leaving me in such pain. I was angry at God. After spending sometime releasing my feelings on paper, I found I could step back into the mothering demands of my day. (By the way, Joanna remained in her crib and finally napped.) Anger is a normal part of grief, but for most of us, it is unsettling. It is during this time that facing our emotions as an ocean wave becomes a useful grief recovery tool. Face the anger. Accept the feeling as a part of grief. Float with the anger, reasoning what is true about the love of God versus how we feel. Then humbly ask God to let our anger go out to sea; trusting His love to bring us back to shore in His healing embrace. I think the most important idea I want you to know is that God is bigger than our anger. We can beat on his chest with all our furry and still he loves and understands us. Our part is to be honest and find healthy, safe releases for our anger through journaling. Learn from Others There are several practical things you can do that will help your emotional recovery. Joining a support group is often a good way to find encouragement. Many times just listening to others and making application for your own experience can feel comforting. If the group is guided by a qualified facilitator, your experience will be very useful for you.