Why do bad things happen? Why does affliction come? What is so good about grief, or is that just a Charley Brown-ism? “Good grief!” Or as my co-worker, Dr Dottie Schulz used to call it, “Good mourning!” How can mourning be good at all?
When seeing our kids respond to the call of the Father, taking the words of the Master seriously, taking our grandkids off to work in a faraway place, we can have mixed emotions! You may have heard or said: “Nobody understands! I’m so proud, but my heart aches until it breaks at the same time!!”
“If you never grieve over anything, it means one of three things: You’re out of touch with reality, you’re out of touch with your own emotions, or you don’t love. When you love and you see sad things, grief is a natural response. Grief is a healthy and helpful emotion. And it’s God’s gift that helps you get through the transitions of life.” (Rick Warren April 30, 2023)
There you have it: Grief is a gift! Grief is normal. Grief is proof of love! “What is grief, if not love persevering!” (Wanda Vision) So if you love, grief is essential! BUT we are not saying grief is easy! With your loved ones working so far away, you might be thinking or saying, “My heart hurts! Aches!” You might already be asking the psalmist’s questions, “Why?” (Ps. 10 & Ps. 22) or “How long?”(Ps. 13) Let’s plan to meet here next month and talk about writing our own lament!!
Help to walk this road pours out of Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 1:3-11. Listening to the text in a small group recently we outlined several “whys”. See how many you can find. As you read through these verses, have a clear picture in mind of what you are considering your “loss, affliction, or trial/trouble.” See how many reasons you can find in this section to answer the “why” question. For example, affliction, loss and hurt happens so we can experience comfort from “the God of all comfort”(v3). And secondly, “He comforts (or literally ‘comes alongside us’) in all of our troubles so that we can comfort others.” Have you ever been called alongside someone else to listen or give words of encouragement or comfort because you had experienced the very same thing they are enduring? Paul says, because this happened (verse 9) “we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead.” So much good flows from hard stuff!
Here’s the real question, and here’s where it gets personal. How many reasons for loss as described in the text have you experienced in your own life? There is right answer to that question. But we hope it serves to illustrate the fact that there is purpose in our pain. The Father never wastes a hurt! May the Father bless you on your part of the journey this month! Let’s be in prayer for each other!
