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“Jesus wept.”
John 11:35

I have a new winter coat. It has fancy “high-tech” construction; it’s warm enough to shield me from pretty much the worst a Minnesota winter can dish out. (And that’s saying something!) It came with toasty warm boots, too. Both items are cozy and comfortable. They fit me perfectly. My kids came up with this joint Christmas gift and called it “Operation Keep Mom Warm.” Now I really have no excuse not to get out and walk, even when the weather is bad.

The Scandinavians say there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing. Well, I finally have good clothing!

I wear another coat, though, too. It’s the garment of grief – a coat that came to me unwanted. It Not fitting, and oh, so ugly, it was more than uncomfortable; it was horrific. And I can’t take it off. I wear it day in and day out, regardless of the weather or my mood. No other person, no matter how much they love me, can take it off for me.

Recently, I watched a dear friend once again bow beneath the weight of a new garment of grief. My heart breaks for her. But as much as I pray for her, grieve with her, and wish she didn’t have to go through this, I know she isn’t truly alone.

Jesus is her companion in her garment of grief, and in mine, and in yours.

Yes, Jesus is in our garment of grief with us. Knowing grief, He wept at the tomb of Lazarus, even though He already planned to restore him to life! He could have been excited to share His resurrection plan for Lazarus, could have told the family to stop their weeping – but no.

He wept with them.

Entering into their pain, He wore their grief with them. And He does the same for us. He’s the only one who can.

Feeling the presence of Jesus with us in the garment of grief allows our eyes to gradually open to see similar garments on others around us. And in some mysterious way, we can begin to share the burden of their horrific, ugly coats, to enter into their grief in some small way as Jesus entered into the grief of Martha and Mary.

As I let Jesus walk with me in my ugly garment of grief, it eventually began to fit better.

It became more comfortable. It’s always there, and I will never escape the reality that life will always be different because of it. But it sits more lightly, fits more closely. And as that happened, my ugly garment of grief became a beautiful way to minister to others. In the ‘bad weather’ of life, I can now begin to see some good in my invisible, ugly coat.

What about you, dear one? Is your garment of grief a source of comfort for others, or is it still new and ugly? Trust Jesus to wear it with you, and to show you how you can use it to walk alongside another sufferer on this hard road we call life.

“For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort, too.”
2 Corinthians 1:5 ESV

Father, thank You that you waste nothing, not even our pain and grief. Help us to look up, to see You in our grief and to see beyond our pain into the suffering of others around us. Help us to know You more because of our suffering. We know You suffered, too! Thank You for weeping with Martha and Mary. You understand; You value us and our grief. Help us to lean on You and do our best to support others walking this hard road, too. We love You. Amen.