Does Grief Ever Go Away?

To those of us who have lost a loved one (or more), grief is not a temporary guest. It stays. 

Fun and laughter, successes, and the company of friends and faith brethren dull the pain, but the ache does not really go away. It makes its presence felt now and then—in varying degrees. During seasons of grief, we can lean on God’s promises: 

“My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.” (Psalm 73:26 NLT)

“Jesus told her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?’” (John 11:25-26) 

“. . . Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.” (1 Corinthians 15:42-44)

A dear friend, who suddenly lost his Mom last year, had internalized all these verses when he wrote me, “Grace, the Lord does not really take grief away; he surrounds our aching heart with flowers.”

My one-word whisper: Amen.