Day 99 - Express Your Emotions Freely

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 Express Your Emotions Freely Day 99 The grieving customs in ancient Israel involved a great deal of free expression, especially compared to today's culture. After King Saul, his son, and Israel's army were defeated, "David and all the men with him took hold of their clothes and tore them. They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the LORD and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword" (2 Samuel 1:11-12). First of all, David and all the men mourned their loss together as a group. "Group grieving" is an effective tool for the journey, but in today's culture it is something that you must seek out, usually in the form of a support group. The second action of David and his men was to take hold of their clothes and tear them. They released their energy in a way that was physical, yet not harmful. Lastly, and still as a group, they "mourned and wept and fasted till evening." In their culture they were free to openly express and share their grieving emotions, and they were expected to do so. Think of the forms of mourning that you have engaged in. How does it compare to the mourning of David and his men? You can learn from the past and be a part of an improved future. Glorious Lord, I want to express my emotions freely, actively, and without embarrassment. 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