Grief is Weird

Grief is weird.Some days, it feels like a long road you can't see the end of - making you wonder if it will ever stop. Some days, like a big wave crashing over you - leaving you startled by the force behind it. Some days, like a familiar ache of an old injury - reminding you that you aren't what you once were.Maybe you are grieving the death of someone dear to you. Maybe you are grieving the end of a relationship. Maybe you are grieving the loss of a job, a dream, or an ability.Whatever we are grieving, whatever we feel the loss or absence of, we are called (as believers) to grieve as those who have hope (1 Thes 4:13). No matter how hopeless a situation seems, no matter how helpless we feel, God is good and He is faithful. And He promises that He makes all things (yes, all things) work together for our good and His glory (Rom 8:28).Being a Christian doesn't mean we shouldn't grieve. It certainly doesn't mean we will never face loss or hardship. Being a Christian means that we have the gift of being able to grieve well because we have a Savior, who is called the Man of Sorrows and is well-acquainted with grief, walking with us as we face trials and tragedies.For a Christian, grief means learning to hold the pain of the absence of a good thing in one hand, and the joy of the promise of what is to come in the other.It means learning how to cry out "how long O Lord?" and proclaim "my heart will rejoice in Your salvation" in the same breath.Grief is weird. It is messy. It is uncomfortable.But grief is good. It is necessary. And it is not without hope.