Loss is painful. Grief is challenging. Sometimes, the grief journey can seem like an unassisted solo climb of Mount Everest.
Then there’s all the “extra” stress that bombards us daily. Much of this stress is due to lies.
Yes, you read that right. Lies.
I am alone.
I am crazy.
I am worthless.
I must do it all.
I must be perfect.
It’s all up to me.
It will always be this way.
It’s all my fault.
My life is over.
These are lies.
These lies (and others) promote fear, guilt, and anxiety. They spawn depression, despair, and hopelessness. They keep us feeling trapped and spinning in circles.
Lies devastate us. They crush grieving hearts.
Contrast the above lies with the following:
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, angels nor demons, the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37-39)
More than conquerors…
A few posts back, I talked about some of the things we will all surely face in 2024. In that article, I made this statement: The theme for this year seems to once again be “Overcoming.”
How do we overcome and conquer the lies in our lives?
It’s not about figuring it out and doing better.
It’s not about living in our own strength.
And it’s not about giving into the lies that are assaulting us.
It’s about giving up.
It’s about giving up on the lies. It’s about embracing the truth and living it out in our grief journey.
What does that mean?
In two weeks, we’ll be having another Virtual Hangout via Zoom. We’ll be talking about how to overcome what crushes grieving hearts. I hope you’ll join us. Stay tuned for more info next week.
In the meantime, please consider rereading the above list of lies. Read them several times. After each statement, tell yourself, “That is a lie.” Say it out loud.
Please be kind to yourself today. Give yourself lots of grace.
I’m honored to be in this with you.
Until next time…
Question: Which one of the lies above strikes you the most? Why? Feel free to share by commenting below.
it is very hard l miss her every day
Hi Shirley. You’re right – hard, hard, hard. Be kind to yourself. Blessings…
Hi, how can I join your Zoom meetings? Many of the lies of your list above have been in my mind and heart for a while now.
I read your book, Shattered and just ordered your “Comfort for the grieving parent’s heart” one since, I lost my son of 29 yrs old 2 yrs, 9 months and 20 days ago and would love to be part of your pupils…
Hi Arlette. I’m so, so sorry about your son. How awful. Please be very kind to yourself in all this. Our Zoom sessions are once a month. Folks who are on my Insider List receive Zoom invites. If you get regular emails from me, you should already be on that list. If not, you can simply download one of my free resources – https://www.garyroe.com/free – and that will automatically put you on the email list. I hope that helps! Sorry for the delay in getting back to you!