Category: Death and Grief

by Alice Swope   The silence in the room was eerie, the stillness unreal. I stabbed at the fried egg, angled my fork to my mouth, and dropped it with a clatter onto my plate before automatically raising my head to listen. I heard nothing – just an oppressive stillness. I picked up the fork…

Learning to trust God again. by Karen Foster   “Lord, why did You let me get pregnant? You knew my baby would die within me. What can I learn from this miscarriage that I haven’t learned from the others?” Grief overwhelmed me knowing I would never hold this baby, but the tears wouldn’t come. I…

How to find out there’s life after loss. by Lonna Enox   Moving ahead after any great loss requires a plan. You must find new dreams, look at new options, and paint a new picture on your life’s “canvas.” But just as we are all individuals, the steps as well as the length of time…

The do’s and don’ts of helping the hurting. by Virginia Jelinek   “I looked for . . . comforters, but I found none” (Psalm 69:20). The day my husband, John, and I traveled homeward from a trip, our car lost traction on a slippery road. We were hit by an oncoming van. My life forever…

by Virginia A. Johnson   “Ten, nine, eight . . . ,” recited the dispassionate voice. What’s ahead for me? Could all this be a mistake? What if the baby . . . the baby. . . . The questions screamed inside me. My frightened thoughts tried to hold on to something safe, trusting, and…

Do’s and don’ts when dealing with another’s grief. by PeggySue Wells   Three days after our daughter died, my sister-in-law telephoned from out of state. “I’ve been trying to get your brother to call,” she apologized, “but he doesn’t know what to say.” My brother’s discomfort is common. Loss and its accompanying deep grief make…

by Lauraine Snelling   “How are you doing — really?” my pastor-friend asked. “It’s been three years since your daughter died, hasn’t it?” I nodded. It would have been easy to say, “Oh, I’m fine,” but I had promised to be honest with him when he admitted needing help in his ministry to the grieving….

When a sad fairy tale comes true. by Sandra Carpenter   Death was Grandma’s hobby. To her, funerals were a celebration of life — heavy on the word celebration. White bun pinned tight, she attended every funeral for every associate she’d ever known, and some she didn’t. I recall being dragged along to a distant…

Lasting lessons from the greatest grief. by Lonna Enox   Sounds filtered through the painful haze. Lights, out of focus, flashed overhead, and a hum filled the room. “Knock me out, please,” a voice, strangely like yet unlike my own, pleaded. “I don’t want to hurt anymore.” A gray cloud engulfed me, but the sounds…

A change in the seasons brings a change in the spirit. by Lonna Enox   I have seldom found myself in the slump that I have suffered this fall. As the weeks pass, I seek strength from within myself to survive. I pray, but my prayers feel empty. Writing has long been my joy, but…