GRATITUDE

What do we do when overcome with grief?
How about the times we experience despair?

 

As Christians, what are ways we can deal with grief and despair?

~Turn to scripture for comfort.

~Pray.

~Share with a trusted friend who can encourage.

~Take a walk in nature.

~Share with the Lord.

~Cry when we need to.

~Seek Godly counsel.

~Express ourselves through music, artistry, or writing.

~Express gratitude to God.

 

Wait a minute! What was that last one you mentioned? Yes, have you ever considered expressing gratitude to God when you are experiencing grief and despair?

Honestly, it was not something I ever considered until hearing my Pastor, especially at funerals say,

 

 

 

Let’s first take a look at some definitions to help us dig deeper. Google searches yielded the following:

~Grief-deep sorrow, especially that caused by someone’s death.

~Despair-the complete loss or absence of hope.

~Gratitude-the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.

 

If we try fighting sorrow and loss with appreciation~

~We will find some positives.

~We can slowly become thankful for the “little” things.

~We can dwell less on the negative.

 

Photo courtesy of Mila Araujo @Milaspage under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

 

Can we find gratitude…

…in waking up to a new day?

…for the air we breathe?

…for the beauty of creation?

…for the people who care about us, lifting us in prayer?

…for the memories we hold dear to our hearts?

…in the hope of being reunited with loved ones once again?

…for whatever amount of time we had?

…in knowing, as hard as it can be, God works everything out for our good?

 

Despite practicing gratitude, we…

will still be sad,

will still miss people,

may only be able to find a small glimmer of hope,

but we will not be overcome by grief and despair.

 

When we are walking through the times of grief and despair, I believe this Psalm is a great one to read and ponder:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.  –Psalm 23:1-6  (ESV)

 

What do we take away from this Psalm?

~We can joyfully trust in the Lord.

~The Lord leads us as a shepherd.

~The Lord provides for us.

~The Lord is always with us.

~The Lord comforts us.

~The Lord blesses us as we lack for nothing.

~The Lord always dwells with us.

All these promises are ways we can extend our gratitude to the Lord. As a starting point when grieving and experiencing despair, try repeating one of the simple phrases from the Psalm to express gratitude to the Lord. Other suggestions are to start a gratitude journal or have an accountability partner.

 

 

Photo courtesy of Rikki’s Refuge under Creative Commons License (CC BY 2.0)

 

By focusing on gratitude, we can hold on to the promise God is still in control of our lives. We may not understand or comprehend what God is allowing to happen, but He is still with us and loves us.

This week may you be encouraged to practice gratitude in whatever circumstance you find yourself. Try to take one small step toward living

 

But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God.”  —Psalm 50:23  (NLT)