Recognize the Opportunity
Paul reminds us in his letter to the church in Thessalonica that we do “not grieve as others do who have no hope” (1 Thess. 4:13). But what exactly does that mean? In this series, we explore what it looks like to honor God in our grief and examine the ways we can choose to grieve with hope.
When my son went to heaven several years ago, I was overwhelmed with grief and sorrow. One week his heart was beating, his body growing in my womb, and the next week, his heart had stopped. I was admitted to labor and delivery, and said hello and goodbye to my only son in a matter of five, short hours. Several days later, we celebrated his life with a gut-wrenching, yet beautiful, hope-filled grave side service.
I walked away from that service heartbroken but with a determination to press on in hope, eyes wide open to the possibility that one day I would be able to comfort others with the comfort that I had already been given (2 Corinthians 1:4). That I would be able to recognize opportunities God purposed for me in this new story of loss could be the very thing God would use to redeem my pain.
I realized I could honor God by proclaiming His faithfulness to others, both in person and through the written word, by openly sharing how He was carrying me through this new season of sorrow. I realized I could choose to play a small role in His greater purposes by saying “yes” to allowing the truth and goodness of Jesus to pour out of my heart, even while my heart was in pain.
That “yes” looked like allowing words to flow from my soul and sharing those words openly, both on my personal blog and other social media platforms. How amazing that my devastating loss coincided with such a social media focused age. What an opportunity to be able to easily reach such a large audience and share how Jesus was meeting me, day by day, in my pain, and invite others to walk alongside and witness how He was healing my heart.
What an opportunity to share with the world that death does not overcome because Jesus already overcame death, and that very truth redeems the death of my only boy.
Eventually those blog posts and social media blurbs formed together a passion project that nearly two years later became my first book. And while the book never hit any well-known bestseller list, I can say that God used it to share His hope with other hurting souls. My grief became a ministry in real time, friends, and so can yours.
God graces us with opportunities to share our hope as we grieve, dear sisters. He opens doors and conversations and gives us a chance to honor Him and bring Him glory as we heal. As we heal! As, not after! What a witness! We can share honest pain and honest hope as we heal.
There is no one right way to share the hope of the gospel, friends. You might write words that others read, or you might brew a pot of coffee and invite a neighbor over and share face-to-face how God is meeting you along the road of love and loss. We never know how opportunities seized pave the way for Jesus to touch another’s heart and create ripple effects for His Kingdom.
Dear Father, thank you for meeting us in our pain. Thank you for the hope of an eternity with you. Thank you for providing us opportunity to share your comfort, as we heal. God, open our eyes to opportunities you place in our path to both grieve and minister as we grieve. May we recognize the opportunities, Father. May we both feel the sorrow and share the unshakable hope that comes from your life and death and promise of everlasting glory. In Jesus name, Amen.
- Brittnie
Hope Mom to Baby A and Chance Michael
Brittnie lives in Sugar Land, Texas and enjoys writing on her blog and other outlets, baking, lingering coffee dates, and soaking in moments with her family. She is a wife to Brandon and a mom to Clara, Camille, and Hope Mom to Baby A (Clara’s twin) and Chance. Psalm 62:1-2 is her go to verse when she needs quick encouragement. She is author of Desert Song, and you can visit with Brittnie at her personal blog, A Joy Renewed, where she shares her faith and family, and encourages her readers to claim joy despite circumstance.
Are you a writer who would like to join the blog team? Learn more and apply here.
