Last night, I had an amazing time with the grief support group at Resurrection. The group normally work through the GriefShare curriculum, and is great community. I was invited to lead the group for one evening.
The Holy Spirit was really at work as the ideas for the evening came together that afternoon and really took form as we were in the gathering together. I talked about Jesus stories of the Kingdom of Heaven is like… and asked them to consider how to finish the sentence: Grief is like… and wrote the ideas on the whiteboard in the room. I gave the first four examples and told stories about them and then they broke up into small groups and came up with the rest of the ideas.
Grief is like:
- Christmas Eve
- a scar
- holding your breath underwater
- an unfinished building
- a teenage break up
- riding a wave / tsunami
- a roller coaster
- being an amputee
- death or loss of a part of you
- your family is no longer your family
- losing your identity
There were stories that went with each of these examples / similes / parables. We reflected on John 16:16-24 and then I asked them to consider a change in the concepts which we had come up with together. I erased the word grief and in its wrote the word “hope” Hope is like… all the things above. The group helped me through transitioning all of the above concepts to how it might be like grief to how it might be like hope. The closing challenge was to finish that sentence – “Hope is like…” in our every day life. Maybe hope is like a dishwasher, your favorite shirt or a cup of coffee. Look for hope in every day life.
I could feel God’s presence among the group – particularly at the moment of transition from grief to hope. God is good!
What do you think grief is like? What do you think hope is like?
Rev. Andrew Conard 
6 replies on “Grief is Like…”
Andrew, Bob and I lost our son last May 25th in a car wreck. How I wish we had been attending COR at the time. It would have been a comfort to have a group of people to discuss our feelings of loss with others who really understand the hole left in hearts.
God bless you as you care and comfort those grieving the loss of loved ones.
Brenda – I am so sorry to hear that. There would still be a place for you in the group if you think it would be helpful for the two of you.
Andrew, I’m sure you were a blessing to all those present at the Grief Group. THANK YOU for all that you do for the people of our church.
Karen – Thanks for your encouragement. It was a great experience and God was certainly present.
Dear Andrew,
On behalf of the GriefShare group I would like to thank you for spending your evening with us. Where the GriefShare material is biblically based it was wonderful to have you bring to life Jesus’s stories and wrap them around grief.
It is so important to be able to reach further into our faith for comfort and strenght. Bless you and all your work with our congregation.
In Christ’s Love
Sandi
Sandi – Thank you for your leadership in this group. It was evident that this is a calling in your life. It was a blessing for me to be a part of the group. Thank you.