Are You Tired of Feeling Tired?

Are you tired of feeling tired? Are you waiting for the next piece of bad news to hit? Do you feel like the storm is never going to pass? Has life hurt you so much that you’re too afraid to let go and try to feel again? If you answered “yes”, then you are in the middle of a full-blown grief attack.

Grief comes at us with a vengeance, and it immobilizes us for a while. We don’t know what to think – sometimes we don’t even know how to think. We don’t know who to call on that can really listen and understand. We’re all mixed up and we know that life is terribly off-balance and will never feel the same again. So………what do we do?

When you are in the black hole of despair, it is so important that you lift your eyes upward toward the heavens. After all, that’s where you can find light. There are displays of power and strength all around us, and that’s what we need when we are feeling battered and bruised from the battle fatigue of grief.

We may not know we have it until we’re deep into the race, but we do have the inner strength to get through the dark days of grief. That strength is called hope. HOPE. Hope gives us the strength to peek into the future with a new view. It helps us to hold on when all sense tells us to give up. It helps us to see that there is light at the end of the tunnel. It helps us to not give up.

When the load feels far too heavy to carry, lay it down and rest. Rest today. Rest tomorrow. Rest the next day. And, as you rest, your hope will build up inside until it can carry you through! -- Clara Hinton

“Hope is that invisible force that keeps us strong when we feel like all strength is gone.” -- Clara Hinton

“Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I’m not afraid when you walk by my side.” --Psalm 23: 3 (The Message)

Faith is Believing Your Rainbow Will Appear!

Sometimes things happen to us that cause us to ask, “Why, God?” and all we can do is look to Him in faith. We don’t understand. We can’t understand. We get no answers that seem to fit the pain that we are going through. And, so we hold on. We hold on tight, hoping and praying that we’ll make it through just one more lonely night.

Nobody really has the answers – at least not the ones we’re looking for. Not the answers we want so desperately to hear. There is no easy way out of pain. It takes courage and stamina to withstand the daily drain – the reminders, the regrets, the agony of losing what is precious to us. Yet……we still hold on. We know that God is sovereign and He is still in charge, even when our world is spinning out of control.

We may not know we have it until we are well into the race, but when we find the strength to go on, we begin to understand that inner strength. It is called hope. Hope meets our greatest needs and keeps us going when our own strength fails.

Hold on. Don’t give up. Believe that your rainbow will appear because it surely will! --Clara Hinton

“Hope is believing when nothing at all makes sense.” --Clara Hinton

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” - Psalm 91:1

Trust in God's Promises!

Are you afraid right now? Does your heart feel heavy and broken? Do you feel like you’ve lost your very best friend and you have no one who truly understands you?
Do not spend anxious moments worrying and being afraid to face each new day. If you stop and get very quiet and still you will feel the very presence of God within you.

As you come to those dark places in your life, just reach out for the hand of the Shepherd, and He will take you under His wing and give you protection and help during the storm.

God promises to take care of your soul and to give you replenishment. He said He will take you to a cool, sheltered place where you can rest. And, no matter how steep the hill or the mountain, you never have to climb it alone.

Hope is believing in what you cannot see and trusting when all else tells you to stop. You have a Shepherd, and He will never, ever leave you. Rest in the arms of your Father and your soul will find nourishment.

You will gather strength from everyday things….a smile, a warm hello, thoughts from friends and loved ones. God is near, and hope is alive. You will make it! --Clara Hinton

“Rely on hope because it will keep you steady and strong during the storms of life.” --Clara Hinton

“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1

Hope Helps Us to See Beauty!

“When will I get relief?” “Will this empty feeling ever go away?” “Am I ever going to get over this loss?” What we’re really trying to say is, “I wish this never happened, and I want to turn back the clock and go back to how things were before this loss.”

But, the world as we once knew it no longer exists. Our grief experience has changed life as we once knew it forever. We now live in a new place, and it’s up to us to work very hard to find a new normal. Yet, we still keep on trying to turn the clock back. We keep wishing and hoping and remembering. The pain feels like it is just too much!

Little by little, though, hope begins filtering in through the cracks in our heart and brain, and we realize that even though our world is now totally different, we must find a way to go on. We begin to establish new traditions, find new ways to place peace in our souls, and we realize that we really aren’t alone at all.

Hope pushes us forward even when we feel like we can’t go on. Hope helps us to see the beauty in small things such as a smile, a babbling brook, or a gentle snowfall. We understand more fully how to cherish the small moments in life, and we are so thankful for every ray of sunshine
that touches our heart. Hope is alive, and hope teaches us how to live again! --Clara Hinton

“A hopeful heart is a peace-filled heart.” --Clara Hinton

“The Lord of hosts is with us.” -- Psalm 46:7

Happy New Year - a Time of Reflection

The end of a year brings a lot of reflection, and often is a time of setting goals and renewed hope. For the person that has suffered great losses, though, this can be a time of painful reminders of all that has been lost. The words “Happy New Year” have an off-tone ring for the person who is grieving.

As we reflect and look back, it is always good to take time to remember the many ways that God has been by our side and given us an anchor to hold onto when we’ve felt like we were lost and floating out to sea. God’s love is never changing, and He remains faithful in His promises to us.

Look to the stars and see the darkness of evening wrapped in the twinkling light. Wake up and look to the heavens to see the faithfulness of a new day being ushered in. Take a deep breath and feel the air filling your lungs with new energy. Rest your weary head upon your pillow and allow your guardian angels to watch over you. Feel the peace that only God can give as you allow Him to touch your heart with new hope.

This is the end of the old year, and the beginning of a new one. Let us hold fast to the hope that God is faithful, and He has a special blessing chosen for us every day of the coming new year! --Clara Hinton

“Every day miracle waiting to unfold!” --Clara Hinton

“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1

Don't be Afraid to Face the Holidays!

The holiday season is here, and for many this is a time of special family gatherings, festive occasions, and getting together for meals and laughter. For others, though, this is a season of sadness, tears, and sorrow. When a loved one is no longer with us, we feel the emptiness even more during those special days called “family days.”

Gathering the strength to get through the holidays can be difficult. At times, we feel overwhelmed and so lonely that we think we will not be able to make it through the day. A tear falling from our heart stains every minute of the day and night.

God, in His infinite wisdom, seems to know exactly the right moment to place hope in our lives. He knows when we need to hear His voice whispering in our ear that He loves us. He knows when to send the rainbow to paint the sky so that we will be reminded of His promises. He knows when to give us rest from our heavy burdens by sending a friend to give us a strong shoulder and a listening ear. He knows when to give our weary souls rest from the heaviness of grief by sending the bright sunshine to warm our souls.

Don’t worry about facing the holidays alone because you have a Friend that is always with you. He is your Father, your Shepherd, and your Friend. His promises are true, and he cannot leave you because you are made in His image. And, above all else, He is your hope! --Clara Hinton

“There is relief from this wound we call grief, and that relief is hope!” --Clara Hinton

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

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