Publisher's Synopsis
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." -Matthew 5:4 (NKJV) This God-inspired book, Encouragement for the Grieving Heart, contains 365 uplifting and timeless quotes and scriptures that can work as a soothing balm to help ease the pain of loss. While memories can only be deleted by disease and death, they can be healed with the preternatural peace of God that defies human reasoning. As we fervently seek God out, we will discover that He is the Ultimate Comforter. He is willing and able to aid us with navigating through the various stages of grief according to our individual needs. Just as God created life, He made death; and both have their season and purpose. While comfort sometimes seems evasive in the initial moments of grief, it will come by God's amazing grace. Resilience and hope will eventually trump sadness and we will no longer be paralyzed by pain. We must believe that God wants to show us the ways we can emotional and spiritually progress to feeling a sense of normalcy. Most importantly, the revelation of God's love helps us to see that whatever we go through, God is there. He is holding our hand and mending our hearts. He is not less loving, powerful or good because we endure pain. We must not let anything including death separate us from His unfailing love. Life is like the weather. There are bright sunny days when butterflies decorate the sky and we smile and laugh with blissful glee, yet there are also cold days when the winds rage and life's heavy, cold torrential rains feel like stones descending upon us. Loss is a season, too which all of us must bear. During this dark time, we must wrap ourselves with God's love to endure the cold and pain. It is God who covers us with His amazing love even though we lose people, things and ideas just like the trees do in autumn. However, after loss there is always gain. While our beloved become irreplaceable, we are always blessed with a season of warmth, renewal and regeneration. And, just as the flowers do in spring, we bloom with beauty and grace-defying the harshness of the wintery days which we longed to pass. It might be difficult, but we must accept that some aspects of loss can never be understood. They will forever remain an unsolved mystery to us-inexplicable no matter how hard we try to make sense of things. Therefore, we must make peace that while we cannot explain or rationalize the pain from loss, we can overcome it by trusting God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth. Living victoriously, in spite of no longer possessing what we hold dear, is our vindication for loss's attempt to break and/or destroy us. Yes, through the grace of God we can move on and use loss for our personal growth. We can use our pain for a purpose. Our strength, resolve and sinew can become powerful and inspirational lessons, especially for others, to stand tall in the midst of life's emotional hurricanes, tornadoes and floods. While rising above the unforgettable moments of loss is possible, it is not easy. Overcoming our grief is not spontaneous and automatic. Moreover, time doesn't necessarily heal all wounds but it does lessen the sting. There will always be scars from loss, but one day those wounds become old and more tolerable to bear. Serenity only comes because we make peace that loss is an aspect of life that we can never change. It is how things are supposed to be-loss is not a mistake or an anomaly. We must embrace the idea that loss is an inevitable part of life, and God doesn't change life, He changes us. We can become, stronger, wiser, more compassionate, and more humble as a result of loss. These are rich treasures that are often buried deep beneath the discomfort that loss brings to our hearts and minds.
