Whether it’s grappling with an early diagnosis or something more final like death, nothing in life can prepare us for that moment. Whether death results from a sudden accident, suicide, mass shooting, sustained illness, or a shortened lifespan due to disability, it always catches us off guard. Death is so deeply personal. It is stunningly final. Our life after the loved one’s death is now totally different. With every death, there is a loss. And with every loss, there will be grief.

While there are similarities in loss, the details of our journeys vary. One thing that is consistent from one grief story to another is that God wants to comfort us with His word and through community during our sorrow. As painful a season as it is, grief is a necessary part of our healing. To run from grief is to run from the very thing that can soothe the pain of our loss. Our grief has a purpose if we come to God through His word and prayer for healing. Grieving is the process that God uses to bring us to a place of wholeness and service. While this refining process does not take away the pain, it helps point us to a purpose bigger than ourselves.