By Rick Anderson
You Are Not Alone
Throughout our lives we each experience “peaks” and “valleys,” times of joy and times of sadness. The joyous times are obviously much more enjoyable to experience and endure than times of challenge.
This past Fall I had the privilege of being a part of a very special gathering of people. Each person in the group was there to navigate through a difficult time in their life, a time which given the choice, they would probably rather not find themselves in. This was a time of grieving over the loss of someone close to them. The group was called GriefShare.
As depressing as you might think it would be, I found to to be a very different experience than I expected. Throughout our sessions together we witnessed people supporting and encouraging one and other as they shared from their own personal journeys of what they were feeling and experiencing. Throughout the tears and laughter, it was a beautiful thing to witness and an honor to be a part of. The Body of Christ caring for one another. To hear people share from the most difficult times in their lives was humbling. It seems as if you are seeing into their very hearts as they express raw emotion and feelings with such grace and courage. It was a time of healing for all of us.
I realize that grief is not a chosen journey. It is one that we find ourselves in the midst of based on life circumstances. Grief is a chapter of the journey that none of us signed up for. A GriefShare group helps us to realize that we are not alone. Isolating ourselves from others is not a healthy way to face our challenges. Others have faced and are facing similar emotions and obstacles to what you are going through. They understand where you are. It is important to remember, once again, that your are not alone, unless you choose to be. I want to encourage you to take that step. If you do you will find yourself welcomed into a community of support in a GriefShare group. You will be glad you made the step out of isolation and into community. The next session of GriefShare begins Tuesday, February, 27th at 6:30pm. Please consider taking that step to become part of the group.
https://www.griefshare.org/groups/183046
Blessings & Love,
Rick
