Give thanks part 1: losing a loved one

Hey everyone, so I decided to write about giving thanks because I’ve seen so many people during the holiday season stress about what they’re going to get their loved ones for Christmas and what they’re going to do that, they lose sight of what thanksgiving and Christmas are really about. Both holidays are about giving thanks for the people that are in their lives.  That’s something that has become very real to me recently because someone that I knew growing up passed away from cancer recently which is why I decided to talk about losing a loved one because while this time of year is a lot of fun for some people it can also be really hard for some as well.  One of many verses that can help is Revelation 21:4 (NIV); “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Now, for those of you who have never read Revelation or even parts of it. Revelation is a book of the bible that talks about what will happen in the end times both before Christ returns to earth and after he returns. Basically, what this verse, in particular, is talking about is when Christ does return and when we get to heaven there won’t be any sadness which for me and hopefully you as well are very comforting. Something that I’ve kept in mind especially this past week is that there’s a season for everything there’s a season for grieving but there’s also a time for rejoicing for the life that the person that passed away did live no matter how long he or she lived. If you are grieving the loss of a loved one this holiday season, I just want to encourage you that while you may be hurting right now depending on the pain it will go away eventually you just need to be patient and in the meantime practice self-care.

1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV) says;” And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Did you catch that? “The greatest of these is love.” Now while it is good to grieve it’s also good to be thankful for those that are both in your life right now and used to be in your life and to remember that while right now, he or she isn’t physically with you that person is with you in spirit.  That’s one of the things that I’ve kept in mind this past week as a few people in my life passed away this passed week and I was just feeling overwhelmed with life especially Friday because Friday I went from running some errands with my Mom to going to a funeral then had to work basically right after so to say I was overwhelmed with day combined with week would be an understatement plus shortly after work I found out that someone that I went to school with and kept in contact with passed away in a car accident Thursday. My point is while that stuff did happen all in 1 day and I was and still am a little bit is that it’s important to find joy in life as well in the midst of sadness.

Something that I was reminded of this past week is to reach out to those you care about both when you are feeling overwhelmed and when you’re not feeling overwhelmed because life isn’t about being stressed out it’s about finding adventure in life and joy in the midst of the craziness of life and don’t let being busy an excuse to spend time with those who are near and far because you never know what day will be your last day only God knows. James 4:14-15 (NIV) says;” Why you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say,” If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”  Well, what is your life? Is your life glorifying to God or is it what Satan is trying to tell you? I want you to take a few minutes and ask both yourself and God that question.

Earth isn’t our home Heaven is where our home is. I say that because while it might be tempting to just give up on life while grieving that won’t solve anything and if you are having those thoughts, I recommend you talk to someone about it before those thoughts get worse. Because I know from experience that it’s NEVER healthy to keep emotions bottled up inside. You can also talk to God because he really does care about you. If he didn’t then why would he send his son to die on the cross for you? One of the many lessons I’ve learned over the years is that just like God loves me he also loves you! 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV) says;” Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” Did you catch that? Cast ALL YOUR ANXIETY on him because he cares for you! I know it can be hard to open up. But just because it’s hard to open up doesn’t mean that it isn’t possible. Because through Christ anything is possible including being able to open up to certain people. As I close, If you ever need to talk feel free to e-mail me at Homeschoolgradblog@gmail.com, comment below, message me on my Facebook page which is the same name as this blog. I want to challenge you to reach out to at least 1 person that you haven’t talked to in a while because you never know when it’ll be the last time you’ll talk to that person. Thanks for reading!