It has been twelve years, but it seems like yesterday. Lona’s scream pierced my soul. We knew all day that something was not right. No one had heard from her Dad that day. He was on location in Sacramento, CA running another construction project. His twin brother called him every day to check in. This day there was no answer. Uncle Rowlyn called all the sisters to see if they had heard from him. They had not.
Then the call came.
Ralyn simply didn’t wake up that day. The hotel manager entered into his room to find him lying peacefully in his bed. We spent the next two weeks in a swirling fog of travel arrangements, funeral home consultations, family reunions, service planning, and the beginning of a long journey with grief.
We come to the fourth of our five topics in the Overcome series this week: Grief. We all experience it. Grief happens after any type of loss. It could be a death, a loss of job, a move, a life-transition. Any time you lose something that you once held dear, you will experience grief.
This week I have a preaching challenge to talk about grief on Mother’s Day. Please pray for me. I want to celebrate mothers AND address this heavy topic respectfully. Our texts this week will focus on Psalm 23, Luke 23:44-49, and selected readings from the book of Job.
I did a sermon series on Job in August 2016. I invite you to read this post about how to speak to people in times of suffering.
I am so thankful for Megan Oudekerk and Jenelle Thorvilson for their professional resources in this series. They are both members of Easter and therapists at Cedar Valley Center for Child and Family Therapy. Megan reminded us of Elizabeth Kubler-Ross’ Five Stages of Grief.
Please join us in praying for all who are grieving this week.
