My daughter rushed past me.
“Look at my pretty balloon!”
I smiled and nodded, giggling as she chased it across the room. Soon she was out of my sight.
A few minutes later I heard a loud POP.
My daughter shuffled back to me, hand outstretched, holding pieces of balloon. Tears streamed down her face as she clambered onto my lap and sobbed.
At first I was tempted to remind her that it was just a balloon. To tell her there were many more where that one came from.
But God stopped me. “Just hug her and let her grieve. That balloon was special to her. You know how it feels when you lose something precious.”
We have all experienced the devastation of popped balloons.
And broken dreams.
Hopes dashed,
expectations disappointed.
Different people deal with grief differently. Some people break grief into stages:
- Shock/Denial/Isolation
- Pain/Guilt
- Anger
- Bargaining
- Depression/Reflection/Loneliness
- Acceptance/Hope
People may experience all the different stages, or just some.
The balloon experience with my daughter reminded me that grief:
- Takes time
- Is different for different people
- Needs to be accepted; not fought
- Is easier to handle with help
When I lost my unborn baby through miscarriage, I grieved deeply.
I was shocked.
I felt alone.
I felt like there was no reason to live.
Gradually,
I walked through the waves of grief,
with the help of God and my husband.
If you are grieving today, know that God is there for you.
On my own blog today, I share some thoughts from John 11 about Jesus and grief. If you’d like me to pray with you, please let me know in the comments below.
Ruth L. Snyder spent the first ten years of her life in southern Africa where her parents served as missionaries. In 1977, her family moved to Three Hills, Alberta. She now resides close to Glendon with her husband and five children.
Ruth enjoys writing articles, devotionals, short stories, and Christian fiction. She is a member of The Word Guild and The Christian PEN. Ruth currently serves as the President of InScribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship.
In her spare time, Ruth enjoys reading, crafts, volunteering, photography, and travel. Several years ago, Ruth and her family traveled through 28 States in 30 days!
What a beautiful post Ruth! Love the idea of being able to grieve over a simple popped balloon, and giving your child permission. So many times we fight the grieving process, because it is so difficult. Yet, sometimes we are called to walk through it.
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Thanks, Barbara
You’re right. We don’t like to grieve, and many times others don’t give us permission to grieve. But God does ❤️
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I agree with Barb, I fight grief all the time, reminding myself that I am strong, and where I am not Jesus is….which is true, yet allowing the grief is an important part of growth. Thank you for the reminder that it is alright to grieve over the simple things.
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You’re welcome, Lisa
As I mention in my post on my blog, even though Jesus is strong and often chooses to change difficult circumstances, He still grieves with us. When Lazarus died, Jesus wept before He raised Lazarus from the dead!
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Yes we all deal differently but we all have to live with it. At Parent is your past dying, your Spouse chances your life and your child is your future. I Liked today reading. Blessed day to you.
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Thanks for stopping by and leaving your thoughts. May God give you peace and wisdom today.
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