Grief is a Roller Coaster Ride!

We need to constantly remind ourselves that grief is not a smooth path, but is often rocky, bumpy, and takes us off course for a while. There will be setbacks, but that doesn’t mean that you’re not making progress in your journey towards finding hope and joy once again. Every step that you take is a step closer to finding new hope and strength!

Rather than waste precious energy beating yourself up about not doing better, why not remind yourself daily that you are doing the best that you can. You’ve been pushed into a place that is foreign territory, and you had no choice. Expect some setbacks, accept them when they come, take time to get the tears and pain all out, take a deep breath, then move on.

Life is fragile for each of us, and we’re all in this thing together. Remember that hope is nearby, even when we cannot see it. Trust that the One who created you and this universe knows you intimately and cares. He knows your every joy, and He suffers with you through your every heartache.

If today is one of those not-so-good days, then take heart, allow the pain to be released, and know with full assurance that when you do that, you’re opening up the door to new hope! --Clara Hinton

“Go to sleep knowing that God is awake, and He will take over the things that you cannot do. You are never, ever alone!” --Clara Hinton

“Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him.” -- Psalm 37a

Hope is an Amazing, Powerful Strength!

In our grief, sometimes we feel so isolated and alone that we feel we’ve been singled out. While our grief is unique and is totally ours, we do belong to a family of people traveling that same difficult journey called grief. Many times, we need to remind ourselves of this or we can sink into a hole of despair that is so dark and lonely that we cannot find the light of day.

Grief is unique, but it is also universal. I cannot feel the same intensity of pain as you, but I can offer you encouragement through my pain. We have not been left alone even though there are times in our walking with grief that it feels that way.

How can I cope? How can I get through this day, or even this hour when I feel this alone? It often helps to walk among nature and to see the communion we have with all of life. Soak up the beauty of the flowers and trees and birds, the sky, and all of nature. Our heavenly Father has not left us alone in our darkest hours. He is near, and He will give us rest from the weariness of pain and grief if only we will lean on Him. If He cares for every detail of nature, does He not care more deeply for us?

Hope is an amazing, powerful strength that lies within us. For a while, it lays dormant after a loss, but then slowly our hope is ignited and it grows in proportion to our belief an understanding that we have not been left alone. Hope heals. Hope comforts. Hope helps us look to the future with eyes no longer clothed in tears but with peace! --C. Hinton

“In this life, I am never alone. Hope bathes my heart in peace, and comforts me every hour of every day!” --Clara Hinton

“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.” --Psalm 23:1-3a

Prayer is an Amazing Avenue of Healing!

Are you feeling overwhelmed by loss today? Does it feel as though life has abandoned you and you’re all alone in your grief? Have you come to the point of almost wanting to give up?

Hold on! There is hope beyond the grief, and that hope never fails to arrive at just the right moment in your life!

Take a walk alone today and look at the sky, slowly breathe in the air, and feel the breeze brush gently across your face. Hear the whispers of God in all of nature and allow His presence to touch your heart. Feel His nearness and be assured that you have not been left alone in your pain.

Prayer is an amazing avenue of healing because it allows you to talk to the Physician, and the One who truly understands. You can say what’s on your heart and mind without fear of being misrepresented or misunderstood. There is no fear being placed on you when you speak to God in prayer. He listens. He understands. He sends comfort. He is your tender Father who cares.

What is on your heavy heart today? Sadness? Emptiness? Loneliness? Feeling forgotten and misused? Feeling abandoned? Then walk among the fields. Touch the lilies. Catch a butterfly. Allow the raindrops to fall gently across your face, and know that you are never alone! Hope is alive and will continue to grow stronger with each passing day when you open your heart to prayer. – Clara Hinton

“Praying is talking in confidence to the One who cares.” --C. Hinton

“Pray without ceasing.” -- I Thessalonians 5:17

Hope is in the Call of the Whippoorwill!

The sun is shining, but I don’t see it. The air is warm, but I don’t feel it. The food is cooking, but I don’t smell it. I’m in pain, and nobody else acknowledges it.

Those are the words spoken be a broken heart, and sadly that has become the battle cry of millions of fellow sufferers in this new and foreign land called “grief.”

If you are now in this place of grief, only one thing will truly help you to begin to feel healing – and that one thing is HOPE!!!!

Hope is in the call of the whippoorwill echoing across the hills and vales. Hope is seen in the ebb and flow of the ocean waves lapping up to shore. Hope is found in the morning sunrise and the evening sunset. Hope is found in the smile of a stranger walking down the road.

Hope is alive and lives within the heart and soul of every human being. And, somehow hope knows when it is needed most, and will arrive in many different ways to let you know that you are never, ever alone! --Clara Hinton

“For Thou art my HOPE.” --Psalm 71:5a

Healing is a Process -- Give Yourself Time!

Sometimes the beauty of the world seems so terribly painful. It seems all wrong to be able to enjoy the peace and calm of a beautiful sunset. It’s unbearable to visit places that you once loved because your loved one is no longer here to enjoy those sights and sounds with you. The fragrances of spring become like a stabbing pain because the one you loved to share these experiences with is gone. Life loses its beauty when we are in the deep pit of grief.

There will come a day, though, when you can look at a flower and see its beauty. You will watch the setting sun and feel calm and peace clear through to your soul. You will no longer have guilt for enjoying the beauty of this life because you trust that the one you love is in better hands than ours. You allow yourself the freedom to experience joy minus any guilt because you know that your loved one would want exactly that for you – to know the beauty of this world and to feel at peace with all of life. – Clara Hinton

“Healing from grief is a process and it happens one step at a time. The journey is slow at times, but you will arrive!” --Clara Hinton

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” --Psalms 34:18

Grief is an Emotional Roller Coaster

Sometimes the emotional roller coaster that we feel with grief seems like it’s never going to end. One day we’re okay, then two days later we’re immobilized with the ache in our heart caused from loss. There’s no real explanation, but we know what we’re feeling is powerful and real and all we want to do is escape to a place that feels good again.

It helps to remember that our emotions are like waves. They wash over us, and each time a bit more of our sorrow is removed, washed away, and sent out to sea. The emotions keep returning – coming and going – until one day we find that these painful feelings have weakened. They no longer overcome us and leave us feeling like we are totally out of control.

When we feel like the deep sea of grief is never going to calm, remember that each wave is a necessary part of the process. Each wave is, in fact, working to help bring some healing.

We cannot avoid the pain that comes with grief, but we can understand it better, and when we do we realize that this pain will not last forever. Joy will eventually enter the center of our heart until one day we will be able to smile once again! -- Clara Hinton

“When the sea of grief washes over me, I am being bathed in new hope for the journey ahead.” -- Clara Hinton

“I will turn all my mountains into roads.” Isaiah 49:11

Hope is a Seed that is Planted in Everyone!

When we are walking the pathway of loss, it often feels like we’re walking all alone. Everyone around us seems to be happy and carefree and surrounded by friends and laughter. The pain of loss turns our world upside down for a while and takes away our clarity of vision. We see things through tear-stained eyes and we feel things through a heart that has been broken. Nothing feels or looks right, and loneliness temporarily sets us apart from everyone.

Hope is a seed that has been planted in the heart of each and every individual. Hope lies hidden during times when life is moving alone at a strong, happy pace, but when we begin to falter and feel like life has lost its meaning, hope comes to the surface and helps us to go on.

Hope arrives at just the right moment and in just the right way. God has planned it that way. A comforting smile that seems to let us know that joy will return. The warmth of the sunshine against our cold, lonely heart reminds us that friendship will once again give us warmth and comfort. The evening stars that light up the sky remind us that we are never walking the path of sorrow and grief alone. There is always a light to help guide us along the way.

Hope is our link to our heavenly Father. Hope reminds us that we are never alone. Hope reassures us that there is joy in the future. Hope gives us a reason to go on! --C. Hinton

“Better times are ahead, so hold on!” --Clara Hinton

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” --Romans 15:13