For every mother who has suffered the loss of a child and asked, "Will I ever feel normal again?" or "Will this season of suffering ever end?" I have some good news for you, and if I had a megaphone, I would use it.
According to Psalm 30:11, you will remove your garments of grief and adorn yourself with joy and gladness. Your season of suffering is temporary--practically everything is in this life for that matter, but understanding how seasons come and go helped me to see my grief journey from a different perspective. I'm glad the emotionally debilitating roller coaster ride associated with the grief recovery process is over for me. It was a doozy!!
Now, from the vantage point of a mother who's been down that dark and winding grief recovery road, I can attest to the accuracy of Psalm 30:11. No lies detected, but I had to get to this place in my grief journey before I was able to put my little stamp of approval on it. I was not disappointed because whatever Psalm 30:11 was commissioned to accomplish during that season in my life did exactly what it was sent to do. It gave me hope.
Even when we don't understand the hows, whys, or what the hecks of life, hope can always be found.
If you are feeling overwhelmed by the weight of grief like I was, I pray that the light of God's face turn towards you and GIVES you peace. Prepare to receive a tickle coming from the innermost part of your being, and from the inside out, allow the manifest presence of peace to become a source of comfort and a ray of hope.
Listen, I certainly didn't ask to be on this journey, but I'm thankful for the silver lining associated with the darkest cloud ever.
When I was a little girl, one of my favorite dolls was Chatty Cathy. I pulled the string on the back of her neck repeatedly because I loved the way that she said "EVERY cloud has a SILver lining!" Even as children, there were lots of signs pointing us toward our destiny. Chatty Cathy was one of my favorite toys for a reason.
God is very much aware of the plan he has for each of our lives, and before we were born, we were already equipped with everything we needed for our journey. The grief process is not a pleasant one, but as I worked through it, the peace that I chose to contend for presented me with many pleasant surprises along the way.
If you are recovering from the loss of a loved one (no matter how far along you are in your recovery process), be encouraged. Peace-filled brighter days are ahead. Keep your chin up.
I accepted the assignment to share my grief journey because it represents hope, especially for the mother who is grieving the loss of a child. While I am still waiting for Lady Justice to bust a move as it relates to my son's case, I want to shed a little light on the lessons I learned and a few strategies I picked up along the way that helped me to fight the good fight of faith as I contended for peace after the loss of my son.
In the next episode of "Contending for Peace," I'm going to leave a trail of breadcrumbs so that you can follow the trail that Ied me to a place of peace, comfort and exceeding great reward. You are not alone, and your season of suffering will not last forever.
Until the next time, F.A.R.T.S. (find a reason to smile)
Charmaine LaFondé
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