Six months after losing Dianne: it hurts more each day but I understand the hurt a little better

   

    Today marks six months since my dearest Dianne went home to be with our Lord.

    If someone had asked me a year ago (before my loss of Dianne) if I would miss her less after 6 months, I would have probably said... "yes"?

    Now, having gone through six months of grieving, I am not surprised that I miss her more and more each day.  A few months ago, I thought it was a "bad thing" to miss her more as time goes by.  Today, I understand that my missing her this way just demonstrates how much I loved her and still do love her.

    Time does not heal all wounds!

     Although the hurt is deep and the missing more intense with each passing day, I am encouraged when I remember that each passing day brings me one day closer to being home with the Lord and with Dianne.

    My love and thanks goes out to each of you who are with me on this journey! 

How God comforts us and helps us through pain and grief, by Pastor Rick Warren

     I listened to this message last evening... passing it along. Pastor Rick Warren, who lost his 27-year-old son due to suicide, shares six ways God comforts and helps us through grief:

+ God draws us close to Himself;

+ God feels our pain with us;

+ God gives us a church family for support;

+ God uses grief and pain to help us grow

+ God gives us the promise of heaven

+ God uses our pain to help others.

     Pastor Rick also gives some advice for those who are comforting those who are grieving: 

(1) Never minimize the grieving person's pain or try to "fix it"; and 

(2) Never try to rush people through the grieving process or set time expectations for how long the grieving process should last. 

     We don't get over the loss of a loved one... we get through it.

     Click on the link for the 45-minute message: How God Can Bless a Broken Heart.