Shared Wisdom: Grief

There has been much grief in my life and my church community’s life recently.  Many people’s hearts have been filled with sorrow.  Therefore, I thought I would share some special words about this poignant emotion that we all have to deal with at sometime in our lives.  None of us escapes the passing of family members or dear friends.  Death is the one absolute certainty in our lives and rarely do we die without experiencing the grief of loss.

One of my favorite pieces of poetry is titled simply “Grief”.  It was written by Ruth Harms Calkin who, through her poetry shares her on-going private conversation with God, thus revealing the intimate relationship she has with Him.

Grief

Lord, you who permit my grief

Are the only One

Who can assuage it.

I wonder –

Do you permit grief

That I might learn

To be content

With nothing less

Than the comfort of God?

Whatever the reason

One thing I am learning:

You make useful to me

All that you permit.

So, dear God

Though a great ache

Wells within my heart

I ask you to grip my life.

Empower me to go

From depth to depth with You

Until I am a “wounded healer”

Bringing Your comfort to others

As You are now comforting me.

And my beloved Kahlil Gibran writes of sorrow:

“When you are sorrowful, look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.  Some of you say, ‘Joy is greater than sorrow’, and others say, ‘Nay, sorrow is the greater.’  But I say unto you, they are inseparable.

Together they come, and when on sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep on your bed.”

Personally I find that both of these pieces of writing invite us into comfort and encourage us into serenity.  I hope that any of you dealing with grief right now, or who will be dealing with grief and sorrow in the future, can find some solace in these few words.