Loss is Hard
Alan Dusel / Audio Ministry Coordinator
Our lives are full of activity … job or career changes, transitions, family milestones (weddings, births), health challenges, etc. and many more diverse life events along the way. Our family celebrated the wedding of our youngest son about a month ago, and that was such a joyous and happy occasion!
Unfortunately, another kind of life event is loss. We all experience it. This could be the loss of a job, loss of health, loss of a family pet, or the loss of a loved one. Loss is a difficult part of life, and we are never fully prepared to experience loss when it happens. Yet loss is inevitable.
For the last 20 plus years, we have enjoyed having a family pet. Our first family dog was a yellow lab we named Chipper, as our oldest son was an avid golfer when we got him, and he helped us come up with his name. A “chip” is a type of golf shot, and the name seemed perfect … and it stuck! This was our youngest son’s birthday present, and Chipper brought so much joy to our lives for many years! Our second family pet was another lab named Monty. He was named Montgomery at birth by the breeder, but we simply shortened his name to Monty. Each dog had their own personalities and uniqueness about them, and they were a big part of our family, going on vacations with us, long summer walks to the swimming hole at the park, and joining us for the annual Trick-or-Treat walk around the neighborhood in the fall. Sadly, we had to say our goodbyes to Monty recently, as his health was continuing to decline, and it was so sad to see him struggle to do the simplest of activities. We had to face the reality that we were going to lose him.
My wife and I are still in a season of sadness, adjusting to not having Monty around …we miss him. Although we recently decided to adopt a rescue pup from a shelter down south, we find ourselves calling our new pup Monty, and we sure miss his presence, quirks and mannerisms.
I have stayed in touch over the years with a high-school friend via social media. I recently found out that she lost her husband of 40 years rather suddenly due to a short illness. Then within six months of that her brother died suddenly and unexpectedly in his sleep. I cannot imagine the sense of loss and grief that my friend is still experiencing. I keep in touch with her and pray for her often.
Grief and loss are a part of life, and Our Heavenly Father knows when we are hurting, as He mourns with us. There are many words of encouragement in the Bible that can help us when we are hurting and experiencing loss. Below are a few that can be of encouragement to all of us during these tough times.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Matthew 5:4
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:4
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18
During our season of loss, we take time to reflect on the good things, the special memories, and treasure the times we have had with our loved ones. We thank our Father in Heaven for the gifts He bestows upon us, and for the gift of life, and thank Him for the time we have been given with them. Yes, loss is hard, and it is not an easy season of life, however we must remember this cherished Bible verse from the book of Psalms: “Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5