A Personal Serving of JOY and Strength

          Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  It will help you through the grieving process.  And all of us experience that at some point.

            Grief is a part of life.  If you are not going through it yourself right now, I’m sure you know someone who is.  Many times we find it difficult to know what to say to someone when they lose a loved one.  Especially in the early stages when emotions are so tender and fresh.  Sometimes we don’t need to say anything…just be there!  If they want to talk, let them talk.  If not, then just put your arms around them and cry with them.

            Through my experiences of late, I have a few suggestions in helping those who are grieving:

• Express your concern…sincerely. Empathize with the one who is hurting.
• Don’t be afraid to talk about the situation when they are ready. Their loved one may be gone, but they are still a very important part of their heart.
• Don’t say: “I know exactly how you feel.” Because NO ONE knows exactly how anyone feels, except God!
• Instead of asking, “What can I do for you?” just do what you think is helpful.  They can’t think straight when they are hurting deeply.

If we find ourselves grieving, one of the best things we can do is turn to the scriptures and focus on God.  That is where we will find hope…as in  Jeremiah 31:13 “ I will turn their  mourning into gladness. I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.”  

      Let's remember that we have hope in Jesus.  He will give us comfort and a personal serving of joy and strength.