Topic > When Life Hurts > Grief >
Is There Hope?
I sat quietly at the graveside of my father, waiting for the private family burial of my mother to begin. The funeral director carried the urn that held her ashes. My heart felt numb and my head was in a fog. How can I handle losing them both within just 3 months? In my grief I felt loss and loneliness and a little hopeless facing a future without them.
It was like death had played a cruel prank
For a week, I was glued to news updates on the status and stories of three ill-fated passenger airlines. My heart went out to the passengers who were killed and their grieving family members. It could very well have been someone I knew.
silencing the barren womb
Dear Sheridan,
I know that you and your wife have never been able to have children. My husband and I haven’t been able to either, and we’ve tried almost everything to do so. The hardest thing I find is that the pain and the longing never seem to go away.
hope deferred
As any couple trying to have a child knows, every 28 days you’re looking for signs of success. For many couples, this expectation is met with disappointment for a few months until conception occurs. But for others, this monthly cycle of raised and dashed hopes can last for years. Proverbs 13:12 describes such an experience well: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.”
Facing the agony that engulfed her–Marjorie’s Story
Sometimes the twists and turns on life’s road can cause us to question God or the path He’s laid out for us. Marjorie recounts how God led her safely down an unknown and unpredictable road after she lost her husband and her son in the same year. We would like to thank Maranatha Bible &…
Two Men
Two men were killed in our city on the same day. The first, a police officer, was shot down while trying to help a family. The other was a homeless man who was shot while drinking with friends early that day.
Loss, Family
Already in their forties, an unexpected pregnancy interrupted the plans Jon and Barb had for their lives. One couple’s story about how life can abruptly change—and a merciful God who never changes.
Be Present
After 20 children and 6 staff members were murdered in a Connecticut school, the entire nation was stunned that such a horrific thing could happen. Everyone focused on the tragedy and the questions surrounding it: What kind of person would do such a thing, and why? How can we prevent it from happening again? How can we help the survivors? Amid the chaos, an unlikely group moved in and made a difference.
A Season For Everything
In the 1960s, the folk-rock band The Byrds popularized the song “Turn! Turn! Turn!” It climbed to the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and gained worldwide popularity. People seemed captivated by the lyrics. Interestingly, though, except for the last line, those lyrics are from the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes.
Journey Through the Loss of a Child
In Journey through the Loss of a Child, Kevin and Dawn and Bob and Chris share their personal stories about the loss of their sons to encourage other parents and point them to the light of God’s presence that brings peace and hope.
Life After Loss: Grieving with Hope
“Grief is a journey that sooner or later we all must take,” writes counselor Tim Jackson. Sharing his personal experience and pointing us to the cross and the power of Christ’s resurrection, Jackson shows us how we can take that journey with hope. In the pages of this booklet, he walks with us through the grieving process and reminds us to “lean on our Creator and each other” for comfort.
Life in the Face of Death: Honest Conversations with Ed Dobson and Mart DeHaan, Part 1: It Ain't Over
Ed Dobson talks openly about his ALS diagnosis and the challenges of his journey to encourage those who are facing the reality of death.
Life in the Face of Death: Honest Conversations with Ed Dobson and Mart DeHaan, Part 4: My Garden
“My Garden.” A pastor for many years, Ed struggled to adjust to a life without the pulpit after his diagnosis of ALS. Ed shares how he eventually discovered there is much more to who we are than what we do.
Life in the Face of Death: Honest Conversations with Ed Dobson and Mart DeHaan, Part 5: Ask Forgiveness
“Ask Forgiveness.” When Ed Dobson was told that his life would be over in a few short years, he found his priorities drastically rearranged. Wanting to mend relationships, he decided some things were more important than who was right and who was wrong.
Pass It On
I’ve noticed through the years that those who have suffered are quick to comfort other sufferers. When a young couple suffers the loss of a child, another couple who also lost a child in the past asks if they can help.
