Wednesday, February 21, 2024

The Mourner’s Path

After Charlie's announcement that Lent will be coming up quickly this year, I re-read my devotional from last year through tears, but also joy. Not much has changed in my feeling about the church and its support during my season of grief after the sudden loss of my mom at the beginning of January 2023.

What did change is the deep shock and grief I have felt over the sudden and tragic loss of several of our beautiful young adults in our close-knit community this past year.

I again turned to GPUMC and its staff and members who were sharing in my anger and my deep sadness, and I learned that the only way to be free of those unbearable days was to "turn it over to God."

I also attended a workshop in December with our pastor, David, and fellow Stephen Minister, Carolyn Barth, called the mourner's path at Christ Episcopal Church in Grosse Pointe. The central theme of this Christ-centered ministry is that inviting Christ to be a part of the pain is central to your healing, so that you can transform your grief into joyful living.

I have also spent this year traveling the mourner's path thinking, dreaming, and reading about Heaven.

Pastor Greg Laurie, whose journey to Christ was told in the wonderful movie, “Jesus Revolution,” has a new book called “As it Is in Heaven.” In it he says "Heaven is a real place where real people do real things. The Bible says that Heaven is a city, a country, and a paradise. And we can eat there too. In fact the first thing you can do is have a feast!"

One of my favorite Bible passages is John 14, where Jesus is preparing his disciples for his departure to the Father. I read it at the beautiful memorial service at church for my dear friend, Julie Froggett, in 2019, and also had the honor to read it at the small service I had for my beloved mom, Dee Allison, on February 3rd, 2023:

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house there are many dwelling-places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going." – John 14 1-4

Our mourner's path is very real and deeply personal, but is also meant to be shared with our fellow humans who are grieving, and are looking for a path to joyful living.

I am so looking forward to sharing in the hope and joy of this new season of Lent at GPUMC, with both friends on Earth and friends in Heaven.

Amy Sanford