trbccoffeebreak

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” I Peter 5:10 (NIV)

The only thing I enjoy losing is those extra pounds that sneak up on me as the holiday season approaches.  No matter how hard I try, they return and the struggle starts all over again.   While we have no problem letting unwanted pounds go, navigating seasons of personal loss are quite a different story.  Whether it’s the loss of a dream, a marriage, a child, a job, etc. we need time to grieve and process those deep emotions.  Healing needs to take place, and for each person that time frame is different.   But something transitions in us when we reach that year anniversary of our loss.  When my daughter left this world to live with her Heavenly Father, the days that followed were filled with reflections looking back.  Instinctively, I relived what we did that last year: how we celebrated Christmas, what we did for vacation  and how we celebrated her birthday.  Clinging to each memory, I had no desire to let go for fear I would forget.  Gently God opened my eyes to the reality that I couldn’t live today or press forward for tomorrow if I was still clinging to yesterday.  And what I thought I would forget, He promised to keep fresh. What I feared the most and clung so tightly to was actually smothering out the blessings that God desired to pour out on my life.  Regardless of your loss, God promises to be with you each step of the way, and when it’s time to transition to today and release yesterday, He will carry you.

“Father, You who gave His only Son knows the heart that aches from loss. Teach us to cling to You rather than yesterday.”
For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break