Over the last couple of days, we’ve reflected on the importance of lament and grief. We know that if we bury it, if we hold it all inside, it often comes back to hurt us worse later on. So it is important to grieve.

But it is also important not to get stuck in our grief.

A number of years ago, there was a woman in the church I was serving who lost her husband. They had been married 50-some years. And at first, I didn’t think she was going to survive the loss. For well over a year, she rarely went out. Whenever I’d see her, it was like the world was coming to an end. I can only imagine the loss after 50-some years, the hole that must remain.

But at some point — I think it was close to the second anniversary of her husband’s death — she made a turning point. She got involved in the Stephen Ministry program at our church. She received 50 hours of training in lay pastoral ministry and became someone I relied on to walk with other recent widows.

I don’t know what changed inside her. But she told me about this scripture in the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” She related that the word “comfort” in English comes from two Latin words, “cum fortis” — meaning “with strength.”

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be with strength.

I saw that in her. She had mourned, maybe too long. But because she had been through it, she was with strength. And it was the kind of strength that she could use to help others through it.

My prayer for you today is this: when loss comes and you find yourself gathering the pieces, take the time you need to grieve. Do not rush it. But also trust that God does not leave you there. In Christ, mourning is not the end of the story. The Spirit meets us in our sorrow and, over time, weaves strength into the very places that once felt shattered. And when that strength comes, may you receive it — not only for yourself, but as a quiet gift you can offer to others who are just beginning their own journey through the valley.

Let us pray: Heal us, O God, that we might be instruments of healing. We ask in Christ’s name. Amen.