Welcome to Wednesday, my friend! What a treat it has been to have Jim Cress with us throughout our study. 

I know I mentioned on Monday that this week is full of hope and promise, so it may seem a bit strange when I tell you that now we’re focusing on grief. But if you think about it, we’ve been doing some good, hard work these last several weeks with boundaries. And if we’ve set boundaries the way God intends for healthier relationships, we may have had to say a few goodbyes along the way. 

That means we can be left with empty places in our lives that cause us to grieve. But it’s important we understand that grieving — the way we usually think about it — isn’t the whole story. Jim mentions a verse in today’s video that I love: 

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13, ESV).

In this verse, the author, Paul, doesn't say we shouldn’t grieve, but because we are God’s children, we can grieve with hope!

Jim has so much more to tell us this week about the grieving process! Grab your journal or a notebook and watch now.

Trust the process, Jim urges us, because grief is our friend! 

Alicia

P.S. Don’t forget to write down your thoughts from this week’s video and reading in your journal.

Let’s Chat!

In what ways can you see this process of learning to grieve helping you in your life circumstances and relationships?