Category: Grief

God speaks

Ruth Kirk

God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it (Job 33:14; NLT).

God speaks to us through music,
And through words;
Through other people, beauty, peace,
And love.

God speaks to us through stillness,
And through dance;
Through joys and sorrows, prophecy,
And “chance”.

God speaks to us through silence,
And through grief;
Through dread, and pain, and sacrifice,
And blood.

God speaks to us through darkness,
And through strife;
Through loss of faith, and suffering,
And life.

Our lives are in his hands (Psalm 66:9; NLT).

The life of every living thing is in his hand, and the breath of every human being (Job 12:10; NLT).

References

I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the LORD, am the one who does these things (Isaiah 45; 7; NLT).

Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad? (Job 2:10; NLT).

I want your will to be done, not mine (Luke 22:42; NLT).

In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28; NIV).

My Guardian

Ruth Kirk

The Lord is your Guardian (Psalm 121:5; ISV).

You are the Guardian
Of my life:
Whatever I must face,
You share.

You are the Guardian
Of my mind:
However dark my thoughts,
You’re there.

You are the Guardian
Of my heart:
No matter how I feel,
You’re near.

You are the Guardian
Of my soul:
In life and death,
You’re always here.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me (Psalm 23: 4; KJV).

Can’t pray?

Ruth Kirk

Pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17; NIV).

We praise you with timbrel and dance; we praise you with strings and flute! (Psalm 150:4; TIB).

Pray with music,
And with dance;
Pray with friendship,
And with care;
Pray with laughter,
And with tears;
Pray with stillness –
Christ is there.

Share your silence,
And your grief;
Share your anguish,
And your fear;
Share your wordless
Loss of hope;
Share your darkness –
Christ is here.

I am with you always (Matthew 28:20; NIV).

References 

If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the LORD and rely on your God (Isaiah 50:10; NLT).

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me (Psalm 23:4; NLT).

Ever deeper

Ruth Kirk

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help? Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer. Every night you hear my voice, but I find no relief (Psalm 22:1-2; NLT).

Moses went into the darkness where God was (Exodus 20:21; BST).

Ever deeper
Into darkness,
Ever steeper
Is my way;

Ever sharper
Is my grief, Lord,
For you seem
So far away.

Ever fleeter
Are my footsteps,
Ever sweeter
Is my goal;

Ever firmer
Is my choice,
For you, Lord,
Are my living soul.

The LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7; KJV).

The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7; NIV).

All I have left

Ruth Kirk

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help? (Psalm 22:1; NLT).

All I have left is my longing.
All I have left is my loss.
All I have left is my memories,
And all I have left is my cross.

All I have left is my sadness.
All I have left is my soul.
All I have left is my wistfulness,
And all I have left is my goal.

All I have left is my silence.
All I have left is my pain.
All I have left is my loneliness,
Until I can see you again.

All I have left is my darkness.
All I have left is my love.
All I have left is my emptiness,
Until we’re united, above.

We who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever (1 Thessalonians 4:17; NIV).

All is well

Ruth Kirk

The biblical context of today’s blog is a story in 2 Kings, chapter 4, verses 8-37. The woman who speaks in the first quote has just lost her only son, who died of heatstroke in the fields. Note that her later message to Elisha in my second quote is given before she reveals to him that her beloved son is dead. This woman’s faith is an example to us all, no matter how empty, far from God, or hopeless we feel.

She sent a message to her husband: “Send one of the servants and a donkey so that I can hurry to the man of God and come right back.” “Why go today?” he asked. “It is neither a new moon festival nor a Sabbath.” But she said, “It will be all right” (2 Kings 4:23; NLT).

In times of grief,
And darkest night:
Everything
Will be alright.

In times of dryness,
Doubt, and pain:
All things
Shall be well again.

So, when life
Is hard, or hell:
Trust in God,
For all is well. 

Please run now to meet her, and say to her, “Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?” And she answered, “It is well” (2 Kings 4:26; NKJV).

References

God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them (Romans 8:28; NLT).

“All things shall be well” (Julian of Norwich; Revelations of Divine love).

Saying, “Yes”

Ruth Kirk

Today I am moving out of my nursing home, and back to my house, with a carer already in place. It’s three whole months since this journey began with my sudden admission to hospital.

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:18; NIV).

Can I say, “Yes”,
And offer thanks,
For good,
As well as bad?

Can I say, “Yes”,
And thank you, Lord,
For joy,
As well as pain?

Can I say, “Yes”,
And give you thanks
For bliss,
As well as grief –

Without the need
For shame, or guilt?
If so,
That’s a relief!

Our God has enlightened our eyes and has given us a little relief in our time of servitude (Ezra 9:8; NET).

Jesus: shining

Ruth Kirk

There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light (Matthew 17:2; NIV).

Jesus: shining, praising, sighing;
Listening, thinking, then replying;
Waiting, watching, calling, choosing;
Guiding, giving, and refusing.

Jesus: walking, meeting, sharing;
Kind, forgiving, healing, caring;
Laughing, eating, sleeping, preaching;
Working, resting, talking, teaching.

Jesus: praying, sweating, grieving;
Weeping, anguished, begging, pleading;
Saying, “Yes”, to God: acceding;
Tortured, scorned, transfixed, and bleeding.

Jesus: learning, serving, crying;
Wise, rejoicing, living, dying –
Make me more like you, I pray,
By loving you in all, today.

Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; NLT).

Just pray! (for M. and M.)

Ruth Kirk

Pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17; NIV).

Pray in silence,
Pray with words;
Pray with laughter,
Sighs, and tears.

Pray through music,
Pray through dance;
Pray in anger,
Sin, and fear.

Pray in sickness,
Pray in pain;
Pray when grieving
Night and day.

Pray with faith,
And pray with none:
No matter what God sends –
Just pray!

I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the LORD, am the one who does these things (Isaiah 45:7; NLT).

The LORD gives, and the LORD takes away. Blessed be the name of the LORD (Job 1:21; CSB).

God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them (Romans 8:28; NLT).

Saying, ‘Yes’

Ruth Kirk

Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will leave this life. The LORD gives, and the LORD takes away. Blessed be the name of the LORD (Job 1:21; CSB).

Let’s say, ‘Yes’, as Job once did;
As Mary did; as Jesus did;
Let’s say, ‘Yes’, as Stephen did:
Let’s say, ‘Yes’, to God.

Let’s say, ‘Yes’, to grief and loss,
Then willingly take up our cross,
While seeing all but Christ as dross:
Let’s say, ‘Yes’, to God.

Let’s say, ‘Yes’, to suffering
And prejudice, yet always cling
To Jesus, so we grow like him:
Let’s say, ‘Yes’, to God.

Let’s say, ‘Yes’, to scorn and pain,
Counting Christ, alone, as gain,
And always bless the Lord’s great Name:
Let’s say, ‘Yes’, to God.

Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him (Philippians 3:8-9; NLT).

References

Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word (Luke 1:38; KJV).

My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done (Matthew 26:42; NLT).

As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died (Acts 7:59-60; NLT).