18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Romans 8:18
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I remember years ago watching our wedding video and being filled with tears of happiness at all the people who came to enjoy our special day. As time went on, watching that same video brought tears of sadness as we watch row after row of friends who were no longer with us in this life.
Those photo albums were the same way. It's very common for families recovering from the loss of a loved one to avoid looking at the pictures of their loved one.
Precious moments captured during happier times sit in a closed box or photo album because it conjures too many painful emotions to look at them.
So they sit and gather dust, in the back of the closet hoping there would be a day where those photo albums could be brought out into the light to be viewed again. This is not an easy task for anyone suffering from the loss of a loved one.
Yet, at some point in one's grief journey, we have to find a way to look at those pictures.
When you can sit on the couch with your surviving loved ones, looking at those pictures will force you to confront those feeling inside you.Whatever emotion you are feeling looking at those pictures will help you face your grief head-on.
So many of us after our loss become like a hamster on a spinning wheel going around and around with no place to go.
One man, I spoke to following the loss of his 5-year-old son from complications of surgery said he was working too many hours because his home was filled with triggers of his son- toys and his son's clothing scattered everywhere. I understood where this man was coming from because I and others like me were at the same point in our grief.
There is a danger of not confronting your grief emotions.
As one goes through a long period of avoidance, there is a tendency to look toward destructive methods to help you cope. Methods like alcohol and drug abuse may help you feel good at the moment, but in time if those habits continue they will be the diabolical poison that destroys the body.
Many professionals who work in Chemical dependency treatment centers will acknowledge that a good number of people enter treatment because of unresolved grief issues. The ones in those programs are the lucky ones. There are many still who wind up in our court and penal systems, and if they aren't in prison, others will continue down a never-ending staircase of despair with some dying a tragic death.
The good news is that Jesus desires to help you confront those intensifying emotions of loss.
As you travel this journey, remember that the decision to attend Church isn't dependent on how you're feeling from Sunday to Sunday. Our emotions rise and fall like the Dow Jones Industrials and simply cannot be trusted with decisions like do I or don't I worship God.
As I worship my Savior Jesus, I looked at those sitting in the pews around me differently. Before my loss, I saw them as people enjoying the good times of life, striving for success and continual happiness, but after my loss, I saw them like me needing a Savior to heal them- I no longer saw the church as a tropical resort, but a hospital for the sick.
Our God is truly an awesome God who desires to help you look at those wonderful pictures of your loved one!
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