Grace in grief

Today I found grace in this horrible cycle that is grief. I feel like I should have (maybe have?) read about this somewhere.

These last 4 days I have seen my lowest points. The deepest most helpless, hopeless, dark moments of my life. And because grief is a cycle...they ended and a new moment began where things weren't so dark, helpless, and hopeless.

If grief was a linear process with rules about how long one had to stay on each of the however many steps, we would be hopeless. Hopeless to move past the step of numb, hopeless to move past the step of sad, the step of anger, the step of bitterness. We would just have to sit and wait it out.

Today I am *thankful* for the cycle of grief. <----crazy talk

Today I am thankful for the cycle of grief.

For in it there is hope, hope that each step is not forever. There is grace from God to meet me where I am and drag me along to a better place. I could not handle all those dark moments in a row, but spaced out with some hope and grace, I am still standing.

But he said to me,

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

2 Corinthians 12:9