Day 9 Devotional

When we lose someone we love, we go numb. Our minds mind shut down and bodies follow. Searing emotional pain will do that to you, and you’re left floundering, unsure of how to draw your next breath or how to take your next step. You may have said aloud, weeks after, “I don’t know what to do. How will I go on?”

When the rug is pulled out from under you, functioning in the land of the living can seem impossible. Grief counselors often offer this advice: “What comes to you must go through you.” In other words, there is no way around facing your feelings. When you’re in a dark place, go ahead and sob, scream or do whatever you must to get from one minute to the next. Lady Bird Johnson once said, “People must be given the opportunity to hurt out loud.” That’s sound advice. But that doesn’t mean you have to hurt alone. Christ will walk that dark road with you, no matter the distance, no matter the time it takes.

When you’re feeling low, it can be hard to focus on hope. There’s a lovely meaning behind “HOPE: Hold. On. Pain. Ends.” Couldn’t we all use that reminder from time to time? Because dashed hope makes us question everything, even our existence. That’s why resurrecting it is the key to feeling whole again. Often that hope comes in the form of caring friends who provide healing and comfort. God connects us to His love by allowing us to see His face and feel His presence in those around us.