Throughout the course of our years, we all experience a loss at some point in our lives. In fact, statistics show that 1 in 5 children will experience the death of someone close to them before 18 years of age. Feelings of grief and loss are not always associated with death, however, but commonly surface after a loss of some kind – whether it is the loss of a loved one, a severed relationship, a pregnancy, a pet, or a job.
When a person loses something or someone valuable to them, feelings of grief can be overbearing. Grief can leave a person feeling sad, hopeless, isolated, irritable, and numb by affecting them mentally, emotionally, and physically. It is important to understand that healing from grief is a process and everyone copes with this emotion differently. I have lost both parents and one wife to death, as well as having survived the suicides of several individuals in my life. Generally, individual counseling and talking with others who have also experienced loss are good tools for helping you to work through your feelings.
A relevant Bible verse is Romans 12:15: “Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.” As you are mourning, I will weep with you. Then, when you come to the point of celebrating your departed one, I will rejoice with you.
