The God of All Comfort
None of us go through life without experiencing loss. It is a part of our human experience, but as Christ-followers, we do not grieve without hope. As a leader in the GriefShare support group, Elenora (pictured, center) shares “My hope is that the people who are experiencing grief would be helped and encouraged in this group. I want them to know about and experience God’s love and that they can depend on His promises.”
At the weekly meetings, people from all stages of grief gather for a meal, share their experiences, or even just listen to other people who know what it feels like to go through loss. Many of the attendees are coming to our church for the first time and continue because they feel safe to share their grief with the other attendees. Elenora recalls how God has moved through the relationships formed in the group, sharing “Some of the most powerful ways in which I’ve seen the Holy Spirit at work have been when we give people the opportunity to be in community with each other.”
Through her own grief, Elenora leaned heavily on her community, learning firsthand the value of her own support system. Now, alongside her co-leaders, Bethany (pictured, right) and Spence (pictured, left), she offers others the same level of care and understanding that she received in her own grief journey. She shares, “One of GriefShare’s strengths is the community that people find here. When people come together and share their stories, they realize that they are not alone in their grief.”
People experiencing grief often feel untethered, searching for anything to keep them anchored through the storm of emotions swirling around them. Elenora shares that GriefShare grounds people in the truth that God is with us through even the hardest of times. She shares, “GriefShare helps participants focus on the fact that God is always with us, whether we feel His presence or not. When He says that He will never leave us or forsake us, He means it.”
Today is All Saints Sunday, an opportunity for us to remember those who have passed and to thank God for the eternal life we receive through the sacrifice of His Son. As we recognize those in the midst of grieving their loved ones, we remember Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
If you are grieving the loss of a loved one this holiday season, you are not alone. We are here with you and encourage you to visit hppres.org/care-counseling to register for GriefShare: Surviving the Holidays.
