Monday, July 14, 2008

With Hope, There is a New Tomorrow!

Nobody knows exactly what you’re going through when grief hits your heart. They may say they know, but that’s impossible. But, I know with full assurance that we have examples of others who have traveled this lonely, difficult path we call grief, and they have come through the tunnel and they do see light again. And, you can do it, too!

I don’t have all of the answers; in fact, nobody does. Loss is far too difficult to understand, and the depth of pain we feel can’t be explained by words alone.
We “feel” pain, and that can’t be found in the dictionary. But, there are signs of healing that we can see that are visible and real.

Did you notice the sun come up this morning? Did you watch the leaves gently swaying in the breeze? Did you look at your food and know that it was going to taste good? Did you choose your clothes with care when you dressed today? Did you look at the sky and compliment the blue? These are all signs that hope is penetrating your heart and you are going to make it!

With hope, you will bear this difficult time, and you will rise to a new tomorrow! No, you’ll never be exactly the same, but you will be a “new you”, and that you will include joy and purpose! –Clara Hinton

“Every new day is a promise of a new beginning.” --C. Hinton

“In quietness and trust is your strength.” --Isaiah 30:15b

Monday, July 7, 2008

There is Light at the End of the Tunnel!

Even during the sunniest days, it can feel like the middle of winter when we are experiencing grief and loss. We don’t understand all of the emotional changes, but we know that we feel terrible. Nothing seems right because everything is so new and different. Loss brings about so many changes!

One of the most helpful things we can do when going through that period of adjusting to a new normal is to give permission to feel the pain. Allow the tears to fall knowing that the pain you’re feeling today won’t always be this intense.

There is light at the end of the tunnel. There is a rainbow following the storm. Summer always arrives after winter. A caterpillar emerges from the cocoon as a beautiful butterfly. Hope will replace your sorrow, and when it does you will be able to smile again!

Tomorrow is a new day with new hope. Tomorrow brings the promise of a sunbeam. You will soon be able to hear the distant sound of the songbird chirping his happy melody. Hope cannot be snuffed out. It lives on forever, and hope will find you, too! --Clara Hinton

“Hope is the heart that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark.” --Clara Hinton

“Cease striving and know that I am God.” --Psalm 46:10