Grieving Alone

**Sit quietly, eyes closed in and silence for one minute before reading.**

    In sadness I want to be alone. In sadness I want to wrestle with God alone and I want to cry alone. I distance myself from those that love me. I am afraid they won’t be able to handle my grief or they will judge me for it so I grieve alone.

    We are so desperate to hide. We are so scared.

    It is terrifying to even begin to grieve because it is such a wild animal. When you grieve with others you admit sadness, hopelessness, and a host of other things you’d rather not talk about.

    Yet, as I look at healthy grieving in real life with support groups and in the Bible with people like Martha and Mary I realize that to grieve in community is the way to go.

    God calls us to grieve together. He calls us to enter another’s grief, meet them where they are. He calls us to allow others to minister to us in our grief.

    May God give you the gift of people, who share in your grief, who allow you to grieve freely. Do not remain hidden, do not fear. Grieve well…with others.

**Sit again in silence for as long as is available to you.**