The Journey to Finding Hope!

Do you have a copy of the book Silent Grief? You can order your copy today by visiting the store at www.silentgrief.com . Why not donate a copy to your church and hospital, too? Grief from child loss is one of the most misunderstood griefs of all! –Clara Hinton

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When we are suffering intense grief, we find it difficult, if not impossible, to remember what it felt like to be happy. We do not remember that feeling of energy and zest for living. We cannot recall how much fun it was to plan out the agenda for the day. We forget the small things like the background noise of happy chatter and laughter. We forget joy. We forget the wonderful feeling of waking up each new day with hope!

Grief and loss send us to a new place. A foreign land where we are forced to learn a new language and adapt to new feelings and circumstances. We have been uprooted from what felt safe and secure and happy, and have been sent to a place that is unknown and so very frightening. This is our grief journey, and we do not know how we’ll make it!

What has helped most of us who have been called on this journey is knowing that we never have to travel alone. We have others beside us who have led the way, and they have found their new places in life and have begun to smile again. You, too, will find a new joy, and a new peace, and a new way to look at all of life again. You will find HOPE with the unfolding of each new day! --Clara Hinton

“At first I was lost in the dark, then I looked upward and saw the sun peeking through the clouds and I knew with certainty that I was on the right path to call home!” --Clara Hinton

“The Lord is for me; I will not fear.” --Psalm 118:6

Hope is Alive!

The pain of loss is something that cannot be explained by words alone. How does one explain a pain that runs so deep that it makes the heart bleed? How does one tell others what it feels like to have a cloud always hovering above with reminders of the life that no longer exists as we once knew it? How can we possibly share the personal pain we feel to the extent that others understand? It cannot be done. Grief is too personal.

How then do we move forward? How do we find our place in our new world – the world that has been created by our loss? How can we find a way to bring joy back into our hearts that hurt so much each day? Is it even possible to reclaim joy?

This world is full of pain and grief. That is a fact. But, it is also brimming over with joy and blessings. When we are in the pits of grief, we feel alone and abandoned by all blessings. But, as we allow hope to ignite within us, it acts as a magnet drawing the blessings of life closer and closer to us until finally we reach that point where we can see joy again. No longer does grief rule our lives. It is there. We will always feel that sting of loss, but no longer will it govern our every thought and action.

Hope is alive, and it is bigger than any pain we are feeling right now! Cling to hope and it will ignite a fire within your heart so that you can find your way out of the darkness into light! –Clara Hinton

“Be still and allow the hope within to warm your heart with joy.” --Clara Hinton

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer.” -- Psalm 18:2:a

Healing and Hope Come One Day at a Time

Grief is a journey, and every person experiencing grief knows that. What we don’t always know, and cannot fully grasp, is the phrase, “one day at a time.” Wow! That’s so hard! How do you only look at this day – today – when so much of yesterday and so much of tomorrow has been taken away?

Living in the “today” is often the griever’s biggest heartache. Learning to grab hold of today and enjoy something about it without sorrowing about the future – the things that will never become part of our today – is often the most draining part of loss. Yet, we know that it’s a necessary part of our healing. Living just for today is hard work, but we must learn how to do it if we choose to live this life with renewed joy.

At first, one thinks only of making it through the lonely days and nights. Then, our walk becomes a bit more “normal” as we call it in the world of grieving. We come to understand that our normal is a new normal. Things will never totally be the same again. Then, our final step in this journey of grief is the total understanding of what has happened, and learning to live just for today and grasp the joy and renewed hope of today.

This change doesn’t come right away. It may take many long months, which reach into years. But, you will know with full certainty when you are living in the joy of this day.

When you can hear the birds singing their morning song and your heart whistles along, you are beginning to heal. When you can see the sunrise and smile with assurance knowing this is going to be a good day, you have begun to heal. When you hear laughter from others and you give yourself permission to join in, you will absolutely know that you are beginning to learn to live in the joy of this day!

Joy will return. It will be different than before your loss, but your new hope and joy will be deeper, more meaningful, and you will live in the presence of the gift of this day! -- Clara Hinton

“I will not try to bypass the pain of grieving. I will take it one day at a time until hope and joy return!” -- Clara Hinton

“Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him.” --Psalm 37:7

A New Season of Hope!

All winter, in most parts of this land, the earth has been barren and cold. Nothing has been growing, and the ground has seemed lifeless. However, during this time, the roots have been gaining nourishment in preparation for the season of spring!!!! Spring is a time when the earth comes alive again and blooms with magnificent beauty!

Allow this thought to break through the chains of distrust that often comes with loss. Remember that the season of sorrow will in time give way to a new season of hope and joy! -Clara Hinton

“Just as I trust the changing of the seasons, I will trust that my winter will turn into spring, my sorrow will turn into joy.” -- Clara Hinton

“Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles.” --Isaiah 40:31a

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

Hope Restores Our Soul!

Waking up with a smile on your heart is a near impossibility when you are experiencing the raw pain of grief. When you wake up, the feeling you get is that of a sinking spirit. The feeling that lets you know almost immediately that something is not right. In fact, that sick feeling you get in your stomach lets you know that your entire world has been invaded by an enemy we call death, and the world as you once knew it no longer exists. Grief, in its raw stage, robs us of all joy.

God, in His infinite wisdom, knew that we each would go through the lonely pain of losing someone we love. That is why He has surrounded us with so many visible assurances of His love and presence in our lives. We can see His mighty power in the rolling of the ocean waves and in the tide that comes rushing into shore. We see His love proclaimed every time there is a sunrise and sunset. We can be assured of His control over the seasons we pass through in our lives when we see new life pushing through the cold soil to usher in spring and all of its newness and beauty.

God is everywhere and is our partner through everything we endure. When we are feeling our lowest, it’s important to anchor onto God and His promises. His love is the only thing that will not change and will not leave. He endures forever and walks by our side always. He lifts us up when we fall, and He carries us when we are too weak to travel this journey we call grief alone.

Don’t be afraid to talk to God. He is with you right at this very moment. He’s our Friend – the one who will not ever leave our side. Call on Him and you will have a listening ear. Look to the heavens and be reminded that death is not the end for those who have gone on before. Death is a new beginning. It is a place where all fear, hatred, sin, and pain cannot exist.

Our grieving hearts will one day be filled with hope that overflows. When we keep looking to God for our daily strength and hope, great things will begin to happen. We will no longer feel alone, and we will cry tears of sorrow rather than tears of regret and bitterness. Hope restores our soul and gives us the strength to go on!--Clara Hinton

“When we look to the heavens, hope appears.” --Clara Hinton

“Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live.” --Psalm 116:2

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

Comfort and Peace Will Arrive!

When the clouds are hanging heavy above us like huge billows of tears ready to fall, we often become afraid that we will never see the light of the bright sunshine again. Loss takes so much away from us that we fear the sun is dying, too.

During the winter of our lives, we live in anticipation of those moments when we will be welcomed into a safe, warm haven and feel secure. We long for our tired bodies to get some rest from the heavy burdens of grief we’ve been carrying, and we yearn for the feelings of loneliness to go away. We want to taste the sweetness of life again, but we fear that the day of joy will never return.

The predictability of the changing seasons becomes part of our hope that we will taste laughter and abundance in our lives. Our season of comfort and peace will arrive, and we will be able to feel the warmth of sunshine comforting our soul. Friends will engage in lively conversation with us, and we will know that we are not alone. There will be a day when the clouds part and the bright, blue sky appears with the sun’s light giving new hope to our soul.

Look to the heavens. Gaze at the stars. Take in a breath of fresh air, and be filled with new hope! --Clara Hinton

“A little bit of hope added to what you’ve already got is a little bit more, and soon that will equal a whole lot of hope!” --Clara Hinton

“My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him.” --Psalm 62:5

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