Day 328 - Develop New Relationships

365 daily emails to help you through the grieving process Grief support groups: Click here to find a GriefShare group near you. If you would like to find a group for a friend or relative, try our Search Page. Want to read ahead or resend a previous daily email? Click Here Develop New Relationships Day 328 "We were just so close to so many couples, but once [my husband] died, the invitations weren't there. That really hurt," says Gretchen. "I just prayed to the Lord, 'Well, Lord, I just need new friends.' "I have been very blessed that He has given me a number of good widow ladies that I have been able to do things with and share with. Some of them are much older than me, and they don't drive in the daytime. Some of them are walkers, and they can't drive. I feel that I can be real helpful in doing things for them and carrying them places and having a luncheon and that sort of thing. God has really been good." For Gretchen, it wasn't about hurt feelings and self-pity. She chose to reach out to new people, and she knew she had love to give because of God's love for her. She spoke to God frankly: "I just need new friends." And God was faithful in answering. "We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, 'I love God,' yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother" (1 John 4:19-21). Father God, when I don't fit in as I once did, it hurts me. Give me a positive outlook and hear my prayer: "Lord, I just need new friends." Amen. Grieving with Hope This GriefShare-based book contains short, topical chapters addressing issues that grieving people face but are often hesitant to mention to others; it gently guides people to determine whether they're grieving in a way that leads to hope and ultimate healing. Look for Grieving with Hope by Samuel Hodges and Kathy Leonard at a local or online bookstore or at griefshare.org/hope. If you would like to recommend these daily emails to a friend, please click here and choose one of the options under Share. For more information about GriefShare, including how to sign up for these daily emails, please click here. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2003-2013 by The Church Initiative, Inc., All rights reserved. No part of this material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without explicit permission in writing from Church Initiative. You subscribed to this daily email through www.griefshare.org. We value your privacy! We will never give, sell, rent, or otherwise share your email or personal information with any other organization — EVER. To remove this email address from further mailings Click Here while connected to the internet. If you have any problems or concerns, please contact dailyemailsupport@griefshare.org. GriefShare 250 S. Allen Rd. Wake Forest, NC 27587 (800) 395-5755