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“Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am faint; heal me, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in anguish. How long, O Lord, how long. Turn and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love.”
Psalm 6:2-4 (NIV)

The journey through grief can be a strange, dry and lonely land. We’ll look at some challenges one can face and how to navigate through them without getting stuck or lost in grief.

Understanding more about grief can help you in dealing with it.

For everyone, the wilderness of grief looks different. It generally takes longer than you would have imagined, and everyone has to walk through it in their own time.

Yet there are similarities that are true of grief itself. Grieving is very disorderly. You have no control over it; it will come and go as it pleases. Grief is messy and knows no schedule. One cannot schedule when they grieve. It can come over you like a wave when you aren’t expecting it. The good news is that grief is a journey, and you are walking through it.

Being able to be honest with your heartache over your loss is an important part of healing and getting “through” the wilderness. We see in David’s life that he pours out his anguish to the Lord. He grew weary with the process of grief yet trusting the Lord for His timing.

“I am weary with my sighing; Every night I make my bed swim, I dissolve my couch with my tears. My eye has wasted away with grief.”
Psalm 6:6-7

We need to do as David did. He poured out his pain to the Lord. Each of us needs to find a way to release the pain of grief within us. If not, it will find its release, and usually not in a very good way. It is proven that journaling can help in the healing process. In writing out your thoughts and feelings, you are able to express your deepest feelings, and it will help in your healing.

Dealing with our emotions (such as crying) can have its challenges because, as we mentioned, grief has no schedule. It can hit in the grocery store or at work.

Remember, we are made in the image of God.

Just as Christ cried and grieved over the death of Lazarus, so we too can know that tears are another way of letting the sorrow have a passage of release. Be patient with yourself. It is with the passing of time that things improve.

Another emotion that can be tied into grief is anger. There can be anger at God, the doctors, or even the one who died. Unvented anger has to go someplace. It could become internalized and many times cause health problems.

So finding healthy ways to express that anger is vital: Having someone to talk to who understands or finding a place alone where you can loudly vocalize your frustrations to God. Again, journaling is a very good way to find a release of your anger.

There are so many emotions tied into grief. In the wilderness of grief one can feel like they are going crazy or acting really strangely, when so much of what they are experiencing is NORMAL. Be open to learning more about grief. Remember the Lord is faithful and will walk you through this journey. Just keep walking.

Lord, help in this strange journey of grief. Help me to come to You with my pain. Teach me through Your Word that You will be my strength when I am weary. I know will You guide me through. Your love will not fail me. Thank You for caring for me and always walking beside me. Amen