About a month ago, I posted an entry about the longevity of grief. The number of readers who responded reinforced the wisdom shared by the grieving parents featured in the post. Grief takes a long time. Parents will be sad for a long time. It’s okay for them to be sad a long time, and it’s important for those surrounding parents to support them throughout the process.
Nancy Guthrie
Nancy Guthrie is an author who understands grieving the loss of a child. She and her husband lost two infants to a rare genetic disorder. She tells her story beautifully in Holding onto Hope: A Pathway through Suffering to the Heart of God. As the title indicates, she also addresses a topic people like to avoid – why God allows suffering.
Is the Church Prepared for Sad People?
Recently, I ran across an interview in which Guthrie talks about what churches can do to walk with sad people while they grieve. Here’s an excerpt:
Grieving people have four primary needs that the church has a key role in addressing:
- They have intense sadness that is lonely and lingering that needs to be respected.
- They have significant questions that need to be addressed in light of Scripture.
- They have broken relationships that need to be healed and normalized.
- They have a deep desire to discover some meaning and purpose in their loss.
While we make room for people to be sad, we want to walk with people in expectation that God will indeed do a work of healing in their lives so that they do not stay stuck in their sadness, but emerge from it strengthened in their confidence in God, deepened in their understanding of the Scriptures, and equipped to serve others.
Read the Entire Interview
The entire interview is available at www.theGospelCoalition.org. Because Guthrie is willing to confront issues many of us want to avoid, some of her thoughts may be difficult to face. But remember, Nancy Guthrie has been where you are. She and her husband lost two children.. They deal with grief daily. Every day, they choose to cling to their faith in God’s goodness despite the circumstances.
Hearing Jesus Speak Into Your Sorrow
I’m stepping out on a limb, recommending Guthrie’s latest book, Hearing Jesus Speak Into Your Sorrow, before reading it. But if it’s anything like her other books, it won’t disappoint. I will be reading it as part of the research for Different Dream Parenting: Raising a Child with Special Needs. And if all goes as planned, I’ll be attending Nancy Guthrie’s workshop at the conference mentioned at the beginning of the Guthrie interview.
If you’re familiar with Nancy Guthrie’s books, leave a comment about how they helped you cope with grief or reconcile your suffering and your faith. Or leave your answer to this question: Is the church prepared for sad people?
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