WHEN WILL I FIND HOPE? MY GRIEF FEELS OVERWHELMING

The most important thing for a grieving person to know is this:

It will get better.

In time.

The pain will start to ease, and you will feel like you can get back to living again. Whether it’s the pain of daily activities or you are struggling with the hurt of holiday grief, healing will happen.

Grief Won’t Always Be in Charge

The bad news is, it will never go away. The good news is that it will not always be in the driver’s seat. It will become a quiet passenger who speaks up occasionally but doesn’t disrupt the entire journey. 

It will get better

The more time you spend with God, and the more time you spend working through your grief, the more your hopelessness will ease, and you will begin to feel peace in your heart.

It is important to remember that you are not alone on this grief journey. There are people to support you, and God is there with open arms. Confiding in Him and the community He has provided you will make the process easier to bear. 

You will heal, you will make it through this, and you will live life again. Things will not be exactly as they were before your loss, nor will you be the exact same person again, but you will make it through and learn how to live with the changes you face. 

The pain will subside

Right now, it may be impossible to believe the pain of your loss will ever recede. That joy or happiness could ever return. Grief hurts, and sometimes it feels like that pain is unbearable. It’s completely okay when grief feels like it’s taken over when you lose someone special. But God offers hope when the truth of your loss feels hopeless. He offers comfort and hope that your life does continue, even if it will be different. 

However, with time, this pain will subside. It will become less severe and less frequent. You will not always be in the pit that you feel stuck in during grief. 

You Can Feel Hope When Grief Feels Hopeless

Your grieving process may take a while. In fact, it might seem never-ending. So, how do you feel joy amid healing? Here are some things you can do to find hope during grief:

Spend time with friends and family. Surrounding yourself with genuine and caring people you trust can help relieve feelings of loneliness, helplessness, and sadness. There’s often someone who inspires hope, just because they’re around. 

 Besides your friends and family, see if there are any grief support groups near you, or ask your church to consider starting one. When coping with the loss of a loved one, these groups can make a world of difference. Hope is nurtured because the group is structured to do just that. You can share a bit of your burden and be with others who understand this part of life better than most.  

Do things that you enjoy. We understand that you may feel like you can’t enjoy yourself soon after the loss of your loved one. You might feel that doing things and attending events that make you happy is inappropriate and disrespectful. However, we encourage you to do things that bring you joy. Go out with friends or see a movie. It’s okay to allow yourself to laugh and have fun. This helps create hope and an expectation of a good that is yet to come, once you are a little further on this journey. 

Spend time with God. Prayer, attending church, and spending personal time in the Word are important for anyone who has a relationship with Christ, but the importance goes up when you are grieving. Find comfort in His presence and remember that you are His child whom He cares for and loves deeply.

We are here to help you. We have many resources available that can assist you through your grieving process. No matter who you are or what your situation may be, we want to help you find hope during grief.