Grief: God's Peace During the Storm of Loss

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. 

Psalms 34:18

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."

Matthew 5:4

Grief is one of the hardest things that we as humans go through. The loss of someone we love can feel like an unbearable weight on our hearts and souls. We don’t just lose the person we love, but we tend to feel as though we have lost a part of ourselves in the process.

Today, there are people in several different states and round the world that are dealing with that very thing. For some, the loss has been ongoing for years due to war and persecution. For some, it’s been sudden due to natural disasters. For others it’s due to disease, accidents, violence  or even suicide. No matter how the loss happens, it’s never easy and for us it can feel like the end of everything we know.

I knew I wanted to speak on this, because it’s been on my heart. It’s also why I chose two Bible Verses for this today. Our country has been rocked with floods, causing a huge loss of life, especially innocent life. People haven’t just lost homes, or memories, they have also lost loved ones.

These storms and others related to grief can feel as though it is pulling you under. We don’t just find ourselves trying to tread water, we find ourselves fighting against the crashing waves around us, trying to pull us under as well. There might even be some who have already been pulled under, and they are struggling to get to the surface. However, it’s important to remember that while those waves are overwhelming, there is hope.

God is there; He is waiting for us to call to Him. The moment we do call out, He will reach out and pull us out of the water. This is one of those times though, that He won’t calm the storm or make it go away. Instead, you can bet that He will stay there in the storm with us, holding us and comforting us just like it says in Matthew. God is always near to us, He is always there when we need Him and even when we don’t. His love for us is why He wants that relationship with us, so that He can be our strength when we are weak.

Now, you might think, “Well that’s easy for you to say Kelly! But you just don’t get it!” I assure you that I do get it. I’ve lost my loved ones over the years. In high school, I lost a good friend to cancer. The year my son was born, I lost my Uncle to lung cancer and a few months later, I lost my Grandmother to Leukemia.

The loss of my Grandmother as harder for me, because I was very close to her. The day I walked into the funeral home, I collapsed. My husband had to help me out of the home, because I was that upset. For months after, I couldn’t stop crying. Every time I heard gospel music or any song that reminded me of her, I would break down. It wasn’t till church one morning, that I felt a sort of peace suddenly come over me. 

You see, my mom told me that the day my Grandma went home for hospice, her Pastor asked her a question,“Are you happy to be home LuAnn?”

My Grandma’s response was, “Pastor, I came home to go home.”

My Grandma knew what was waiting for her and she was at peace.

A few years later, I would lose my Grandpa, though truth be told, I was already losing him to dementia. Following that, I lost a good friend last year and this year, I am tending to the affairs and planning my first Celebration of Life service for another best friend of mine. One I have yet to grieve.

My point in sharing these stories with you is this, each time, I felt lost when I lost someone. It was like a new hole in my heart was made. Though, the loss of my Grandma took its greatest toil on me. That was the time that I felt like I was drowning in pain and grief. It wasn’t until that experience that I realized that I wasn’t alone. God was there and like He has done so many times before, He has sat in my grief with me, giving me comfort.

There is one thing I want to make clear here, God’s comfort and peace, doesn’t mean we won’t still cry or miss those we love. It doesn’t mean that, there won’t be moments where we cry, because we will. God knows this more than anyone. That’s why His peace and His comfort is always there, we just have to remember to ask Him for that help. Grief doesn’t go away after 6 months or a 1 year or 3 years or even 20 years. It will always be there, but the best part is, so will God.

God’s peace if perfect, He is made stronger in our weakness and He loves us more than we will ever be able to imagine. He is our refuge, and He will stand through the storms with us. We just have to lean on Him and rely on Him. When we choose to run to Him, eventually the storms will lose their strength, their power will start to diminish, the waves will settle down and the winds will quiet their screaming.

So, to all of those who are facing these storms right now, whether it’s a new storm in your life brought on by the recent events and circumstances or it’s an ongoing storm that you have been facing since it first started. I want you to know this, God is there. Like Jesus pulled Peter above the waves, He will do the same for you. Give Him the chance, call to Him, take refuge in His arms, find comfort and peace in His love.

Finally, know that I will be holding you in my prayers, because as you face the days ahead. I will pray, because God hears our prayers. He hears the cries of His children and the Bible reminds just how powerful our prayers are. I can't promise immediate relief or answers, but I can I promise you this with God and with the prayers of those around you; you are never alone.

Love and Blessings,

K. M. Leffler