Letting Go

"Come to me and I will give you rest - all of you who work so hard beneath a heavy yoke. Wear my yoke - for it fits perfectly - and let me teach you; for I am gentle and humble, and you shall find rest for your souls; for I give you only light burdens." Mathew 11:28-30 (TLB)

Diana Derringer is from Kentucky. Her family had experienced three recent deaths: her father, her mother, and her nephew. After cleaning out her parents house for a new family to move in, reality hit hard. Dad would not read Luke 2 on Christmas Day. Mom would not make raspberry jelly or pecan pies. Her nephew would not give another prank gift or bear hug. Their family would never be the same.

As Diana walked through the empty house, Dad's orchard, and the woods at the edge of the yard, she cried. She thanked God for a great family and childhood home and asked for God's blessings on the young family who would live there now. Yet, a few hours later, Diana realized she had never given God her grief. She understood in a new way that God loves us and reaches out to us in our sorrow. However, we must offer our sorrow and grief to God.

Doing so does not remove our pain or eliminate the need for grieving. But it does offer the assurance that God holds our lives and sustains us through any devastating loss. We will never have to carry our burdens alone because God carries them for us.

Prayer: Thank you, never-failing Father, for your presence, comfort, and peace, especially in times of grief, in Jesus' name. Amen.