When the Grief of Loss is RAW

On May 17, 2008, our friends Rob and Melody learned that their 21-year-old daughter, Danielle, had just been welcomed into heaven after a tragic car accident. All the angels rejoiced while a family here on earth experienced one of life's ultimate heartbreaks.

Anyone who has experienced loss knows there are some days when grief is overwhelming. Danielle's sister recently had one of those sorrow-filled days and Melody's heart broke again trying to comfort her daughter. With Melody's permission, I share here some beautiful and powerful discoveries she's made in God's Word that may speak comfort to many of us in various kinds of grief.

"February 2010 -- I received a late-night call from Ashley. She's having an emotional and teary evening missing her sister. After our phone call I prayed for comfort for Ashley and then opened my journal. I came across this entry that I wrote over a year ago.

PSALM 56:8 'You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in a bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.'

Why does God keep our tears in a bottle?

PSALM 84:6 'When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs, where pools of blessing collect after the rains!'

As a grieving person goes through the valley, their tears fall to mingle with the water in springs which can become a source of blessing to others. I'm picturing a pink bottle (filled with the tears from all those missing Danielle) and those tears are blessing others.

Further, in the midst of our pain, we can KNOW that He understands -- and weeps along with us."

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Today, God is using Danielle's story and the love of Christ in her family to spread the Gospel message, teach the consequences of choices, and share the contagious hope they have that God is using their pain for eternal value. Visit Danielle's website and learn more about the ministry that has emerged out of this mom's journey through loss:

http://www.daniellepound.com/27712.html

How BIG is Your Prayer?

JEREMIAH 33:2-3. "This is what the Lord says, He who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it - the Lord is His name. Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know."

[This devotional was shared with us by a friend of WRIM, and taken from today's devotions of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries http://www.hutchcraft.com/]

The One who made this promise is the one who owns it all, made it all, controls it all. God is saying, "Pray BIG." When we forget the size of God we're praying to, we under-pray, and we under-live.

Right now there are some God-sized things you need to be trusting Him for; things so big only God can do them. You're in the "God Alone Zone" - God alone can do this one! Prayer is God's access code to the unlimited resources of heaven - all the grace you need for what's going on, all the comfort you need, all the physical and emotional strength, and all the wisdom to know how to figure it out.

So pray like it!

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Anyone want to vulnerably share about a big prayer request we can all join you in taking to the Lord...or tell us about a big answer you've seen recently from our unspeakably huge God?