Day 61 - This Can't Be Happening

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 This Can’t Be Happening Day 61 Although your mind knows the facts, your heart is often reluctant to accept the death of someone you know and love. "You may have a tendency to deny," says Dr. H. Norman Wright. "Denial covers over the sharpness of the pain." Denial is a process that occurs during grieving to minimize the struggle. This is a natural and transitional part of your healing journey. Randy shares how he experienced denial after his sister died, but over time, he found that denial was impossible: "After the funeral I was basically in denial. I tried to dive into my work and forget about it. It's taken a long time. Little things will remind me: things that she did, places she went to. Things like that will all of a sudden bring this very empty, hollow feeling inside me, where I can't breathe. I feel like the air is just sucked out of me. It's been five years, but trying to deny it or to ignore it is not possible." You may be tempted to "dive into" your work and fill your mind with anything but the truth of the situation. But the book of Proverbs tells us to be open to the truth and to pursue it: "Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding" (23:23). Jesus, give me the courage to face the truth. With Your help I know I can do it. Amen. Through a Season of Grief The daily email messages you are receiving are also available in a book format. Purchase as a gift for a friend or buy a print copy for yourself. Through a Season of Grief by Bill Dunn and Kathy Leonard is available at online and local bookstores or at griefshare.org/devotional. 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