And now abide faith, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

I Corinthians 13:13

In the presence of fear, paralysis happens.

In the presence of guilt, negativity happens.

In the presence of compulsiveness, stress happens.

In the presence of insecurity, imitation happens.

In the presence of selfishness, conflict happens.

In the presence of worry, procrastination happens.

In the presence of anger, attacks happen.

In the presence of arrogance, intimidation happens.

In the presence of criticism, insecurity happens.

In the presence of God, love happens.

In the presence of love, forgiveness happens.

In the presence of forgiveness, acceptance happens.

In the presence of acceptance, faith happens.

In the presence of faith, hope is restored.

In the presence of hope, love is renewed.

In the presence of love, miracles happen.

Prayer:  Help me to see the daily miracles that your love brings into my life, Lord.

God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.

Psalms 46:1

Whenever we experience a loss, big or small, grief and healing proceed in recognizable stages. Knowing what these stages are can help us understand ourselves  and be patient with ourselves as we process our pain.

When Linda first expected that her husband of twenty-two years was having an affair, she immediately went into the first stage, shock and denial. She convinced herself that nothing was going on. And since the affair was short-lived, she managed to stay in denial until her husband confessed. Then came the anger. For almost two months, Linda spewed fury on everyone around her. As the  anger began to subside, she began bargaining with God, asking Him to kill her husband and send her a fine, faithful Christian man.

When depression set in, Linda entered counseling. Her therapist helped her sort through the events of the preceding months, separating lies from truth. Then Linda, armed with a healthier self-concept, proceeded to the last stage of grief-acceptance and adjustment. She chose to stay with her husband, but to continue in therapy for awhile. They have now renewed their commitment to God and to each other.

Thought:  When I experience loss, I will patiently work through my grief with the help of God and, if possible, another person.