“Mourning Our Losses”
“If there is any word that summarizes well our pain, it is the word “loss”.
Henri J.M. Nouwen
Isaiah 51:11 KJV
[11] Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.
Matthew 5:4 KJV
[4] Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
“I must allow myself to feel what I want God to heal.”
“L.O.S.S.” - Leaves Our Souls Stricken!!
In dealing with loss, we are challenged with looking into the center of our being and encountering our lostness. We have lost so much!! Loss is a part of the ordering of ordinary life. It is a part of our journey with Jesus. (Road of Emmaus)
The losses that settle themselves deeply in our hearts and minds are the loss of intimacy through separations & death, the loss of safety through violence, the loss of innocence through abuse, the loss of friends through betrayal, the loss of trust through deception, the loss of love through abandonment, the loss of home through war, the loss of well-being through hunger, heat and cold, the loss of children through illness or accidents, the loss of country through political upheaval, and the loss of life through fires, earthquakes, floods, plane crashes, bombings and diseases. Nobody can escape the agonizing losses that are part of our everyday existence.
We can be tempted to lose the assurance that our lives have meaning. Jesus has informed us that his grace is sufficient for our suffering and distressing situations. The challenge comes in deciding what we’re going to do with our losses. Are we going to live as though they weren’t real? Are we going to hide them through denial and displacement? Will we escape them through distraction and depression?
We must mourn our losses. We must shed tears over them and allow ourselves to grieve deeply and in some cases openly in safe places. To grieve is to allow our losses to tear apart feelings of security and safety and lead us to the painful truth of our brokenness.
There is a blessing hidden in our mourning and grief. Grace will always go where grief is residing. In the midst of our tears, a gift wrapped in the garment of grace is hidden. The cries that well up from our losses belong to our songs of gratitude. We must determine where our losses lead. Do they lead to resentment and rage or release and restoration? Do they lead to bitterness and bondage or birthing and beginnings? Ultimately the Lord desires for our losses to lead to growth and gratitude.
In His Presence,
Apostle Nixon