The Way God Handled Griefಮಾದರಿ

LOSING ONE SO CLOSE IS TOUGH

I've lost a lot of people dear to my heart during my lifetime. My daddy when I was a teenager, my mama as a young adult, a dear close friend mid-life, my husband in my early 70s, and my only two siblings died two months apart, five years ago. Each death had a different kind of grief.

As I was reading about Moses's death, I felt like a lightbulb moment happened. I know countless people face this unwanted road daily; therefore, I felt the need to share Biblical records about this issue.

Moses died at age 120, and scripture says his eyes were not dim, and he still had strength.

(Deuteronomy 31:2) This man had led well over a million Israelites for 40 years. Before the trek to the promised land, he battled for the people's freedom with Pharaoh. Moses experienced all of the Hebrews' weaknesses, temptations, and sins, and each time, he went in prayer to God, pleading on their behalf. Although the Israelites were grumblers, complainers, and often rebellious, they loved Moses.

"And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days: so the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended." (Deuteronomy 34:8)

When you live with or among a person for decades, you get to know them; in this case, the people depended on him (Moses), so you can understand the grief when he died on Mt. Nebo. Joshua had mentored alongside Moses for years, and although he mourned, we will learn tomorrow how he moved forward.

Many times in life, we know of a loved one's impending death, as many are diagnosed terminal. Such was the case for Moses, as God gave him forewarning that he would soon die. (Deuteronomy 32:48-52)

However, Moses had some loose ends to complete, and one of them was instructions for the Israelites. Even though they knew that their leader would soon die, grief still has a way of hovering over a person.

Takeaway: Today, we don't put a timeline on the grieving process. I'm almost 8 years out from my husband's death, and although I have adjusted, occasionally, grief sideswipes me again. No matter what your loss, or when it happened, there is a time for everything. Tomorrow, we will see what God's view on grief entails!