Good Grief

“But as it is, I will give them back everything that they have lost. The last word is, I will have mercy on them.” – Jeremiah 33 MSG

This life can be messy, beautiful, joyful, excruciating, and wonderful. All at the same time.

I’ve been through some losses. I have friends that have lost far more than me. I’ve been blessed enough to walk through some valleys with friends and I have seen some of the baser sides of humanity. And of course I walk away wondering how. How could God make anything good out of such a mess?

Loss is hard. Many times for the grief-stricken parent the hardest part is that everyone is so uncomfortable with their grief that they basically ignore the elephant in the room and try desperately to avoid the deceased one’s name… Much to the detriment of the grieving loved ones. The heartbroken survivor is relegated to believing that no one even cares about their tragedy.

And loss can encompass far more than death. We can grieve when our children are hurting. Many times as a parent we can forget that even our glorious messes can be used for good, that God can do something amazing out of our current overwhelming circumstances.

[bctt tweet=”God can do something amazing out of our current overwhelming circumstances.”]

This verse has given me great comfort in the face of loss and it has also helped me face dozens of grieving parents because I truly do believe that God is in the restoration business. He restores broken hearts and families. And He promises to give back what we have lost. If not in the here and now then in eternity.

I invite you to believe that God’s last word over you and your challenges in your family is that He is merciful. Your heartache is not payment for any past mistake or failure. Believe that He can restore what you’ve lost…but even if that’s too challenging today it’s alright. His promises are valid and true whether you have the ability to believe them at this point or not.

And take comfort that no matter the storm, the loss, or the heartache you are suffering that He is able to restore and His last and final word over you is MERCY.