ANOTHER WAY TO GRIEVE (12 OF 18)
by Roger Thomas
Scripture: I THESSALONIANS 4:13
This content is part of a series.
Another Way to Grieve (12 of 18)
Series: New Testament Sampler
Roger Thomas
1 Thessalonians 4:13
Note how this little verse tells us something we already know, something we all ought to know, and something we all can know.
First, we all know grief. If we haven't, we will. Call it what you will--grief, sorrow, mourning--we have all been there. The passage is talking about grief at the death of a loved one. We all know about that. As a preacher, I have stood beside scores and scores of caskets and watched wives, husbands, parents, children, brothers and sisters parade by the final remains of a loved one. They have come from all walks of life. Some were rich. Others were poor. A few have held positions of power and influence in the world. Most did not. Young and old, black and white, they all knew grief.
I have also known grief personally. I have been at many funerals when I wasn't the preacher. I have stood at the graveside of both of my parents, my grandparents, many uncles, aunts, and cousins. I know from personal experience that grief is more than sadness. Grief takes place on a deeper level. Grief is physical, emotional, and spiritual. We feel the pain. Our hearts race. The tears flow. We lose our appetites. We may feel weak in the knees. We feel emotionally drained. We can't focus. Our mind races in a dozen directions at once. We replay long forgotten memories. We mentally rehearse conversations that we planned to have but never got around to. The grief cuts all the way to the soul. Grief is a spiritual experience that forces us to contemplate issues we have long avoided. We all know grief.
We grieve for lots of reasons. Part of it comes from the separation. No time is a good time to lose a loved one. Conventional wisdom may suggest that it should be an easy matter to part with an aged parent or one who has lost a battle with a prolonged illness. Not so. We still grieve. Even when we knew it was coming, we g ...
Series: New Testament Sampler
Roger Thomas
1 Thessalonians 4:13
Note how this little verse tells us something we already know, something we all ought to know, and something we all can know.
First, we all know grief. If we haven't, we will. Call it what you will--grief, sorrow, mourning--we have all been there. The passage is talking about grief at the death of a loved one. We all know about that. As a preacher, I have stood beside scores and scores of caskets and watched wives, husbands, parents, children, brothers and sisters parade by the final remains of a loved one. They have come from all walks of life. Some were rich. Others were poor. A few have held positions of power and influence in the world. Most did not. Young and old, black and white, they all knew grief.
I have also known grief personally. I have been at many funerals when I wasn't the preacher. I have stood at the graveside of both of my parents, my grandparents, many uncles, aunts, and cousins. I know from personal experience that grief is more than sadness. Grief takes place on a deeper level. Grief is physical, emotional, and spiritual. We feel the pain. Our hearts race. The tears flow. We lose our appetites. We may feel weak in the knees. We feel emotionally drained. We can't focus. Our mind races in a dozen directions at once. We replay long forgotten memories. We mentally rehearse conversations that we planned to have but never got around to. The grief cuts all the way to the soul. Grief is a spiritual experience that forces us to contemplate issues we have long avoided. We all know grief.
We grieve for lots of reasons. Part of it comes from the separation. No time is a good time to lose a loved one. Conventional wisdom may suggest that it should be an easy matter to part with an aged parent or one who has lost a battle with a prolonged illness. Not so. We still grieve. Even when we knew it was coming, we g ...
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