Grief is Sorrow - Preparation
Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in distress;
my eye wastes away from grief,
my soul and body also.
For my life is spent with sorrow,
and my years with sighing;
my strength fails because of my misery,
and my bones waste away.
Psalm 31:9-10 NRSV
Thought
Grief is sorrow. When the last guest has left, you find yourself alone with grief. It may be then that the raw sorrow of grief descends upon your broken heart. When one you love dies, sorrow is, in fact, your deep emotional reaction to death—perhaps with painful physical symptoms that mirror your emotional devastation. Your head aches. Your stomach churns. This is how sorrow feels. It is a state of soulless heartache. The sorrow that surrounds death is as real as anything in your life. Yet you are assured that God feels your pain. God shares your tears and sadness. God is equal to your sorrow. God is with you as you struggle in your brokenness. God is with you as you grieve.
Prayer
God, I am broken. Sorrow surrounds me; sorrow is deep within me. You alone know my inmost heart. Amen.
Assurance
God knows my sorrowing heart.