“I was struck by these lines: ‘Do not stand by my grave, and cry—I am not there, I did not die.’ But Jesus wept over death (John 11:35); so should we. While it is true that the person is not consciously there at his or her grave, it is emphatically not true that they did not die!” - Randy Alcorn
“Jesus’s pronouncement in the second beatitude stands in surprising contrast to our tendency: ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted’ (Matt. 5:4). For the believer, there’s blessing to be found even in our tears, a blessing that invites us to reevaluate our understanding of sorrow.” - TGC
“People I knew and loved walked in the other direction. A friend finally dared to approach me with a hug and talk with me. Once the ice was broken, a few others joined. But until that moment, it was like the parting of the Red Sea. They just didn’t know what to say.” - Randy Alcorn
“…working as an interfaith chaplain at a Level 1 trauma center in Tampa, Florida, has taught him that grief is less about letting go and moving on, and more about letting in and moving with.” - RNS
“He told Martha, ‘Your brother will rise again’ (11:23) but He did not say to Martha, ‘Don’t grieve.’ He is the Resurrection and the Life, but He weeps with Martha and Mary over their loss.” - Colin Smith
Reposted from The Cripplegate.
Depression and discouragement are not respecters of the holidays. For many reasons, the normal sorrow of life can reach a highpoint this time of year for some.
It may be a reminder that we are without a loved one. It may be financial stress, or loss, in a time where the pressure is to purchase. It might be emotional pressure of getting together with broken family. We just may not have a clue why we are discouraged, which can be discouraging itself. We can, even unintentionally, place big demands on this time of year to deliver and fulfill us in impossible ways, apart from God.
“We subconsciously oblige the sorrowing among us to swallow their grief, pipe up, and praise the Lord. Disconnected from the celebratory riffs and confident proclamations, the crushed in spirit become sorely neglected by the exclusion of their spiritual pain in corporate worship.” - Making Church a Safe Place for Sorrow
