Take. Your. Time.

Given so many potential sources of grief, how can we cope? It’s vitally important that we do several things when we face loss:

NAME IT. This makes loss real.

CLAIM IT. Own up to the fact that you feel the loss. Don’t be embarrassed.

FACE IT. Don’t ignore or stuff it down. If not openly addressed, pain will find some way out, most likely in inappropriate ways.

SHARE IT. Don’t be afraid to let others help you.

FEEL IT. It’s been said that we can’t heal what we don’t feel.

Once you have felt the grief, you are more ready to be drenched in God’s healing love. Remember, you don’t get over grief. You get through it. Grief offers a doorway through which we can learn more about others, ourselves and life–leaving us with deeper compassion, insights and wisdom.

HEAL IT. Pray. Read your favorite Scripture passages. Take your time. Really! Take. Your. Time.

This message is an excerpt from “Loss comes in many forms” by Sonia C. Solomonson in the October 2019 issue of Gather magazine. Today we remember Ansgar, bishop of Hamburg, missionary to Denmark and Sweden, who died in 865.

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