By James R. White (summary by Jeffrey Bush)
- God’s promise is that He’ll be with His children as they mourn, not that He will keep
them from such things. - Christians are not spared from grief, but they are spared from grief without hope.
- The culture avoids speaking of grief. It is expected for one to handle things on their
own, but grief is not handled well alone. - The big question about grief is how much time someone needs to get over it. The
truth is that one will never fully get over it. - The greatest pressures through the grief process is not from others (employers,
friends and family), rather from one’s self. - Grieving is natural, it takes time, and it is individual.
- How one deals with the grieving process will determine if one becomes angry, lonely,
or bitter. - Isolation feeds on fear, and fear feeds on isolation.
- Shock and numbness comes first. Then comes the storm of feelings and emotions
we must work through. Then we must unlearn old habits tied to the person no longer
with us, and learn new ones based on our new reality of life. - If we do not believe God is in control and works all for our good (Romans 8:28), we
might have a real problem. - It’s ok to be happy. Many in grief feel like they cannot enjoy themselves, or it’s a lack
of respect to the lost loved one. - Grief deceives making us think we’ll only be happy getting back how things were
before. - Avoid the temptation of giving up when it’s not easy. Move ahead with necessary
actions. - Take advantage of the grace God has given through talking to others. There are good
people in your church and community that are there for you. - A big thing that has helped so many to refocus and get back to a joyful life is service
to others. When one starts helping others, it pulls them from the downward spiral of
looking downward and inward.