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In 2007, I began my original website, Sonshine's Haven. In 2007, it was turned into a blog and used to keep family updated on my first husband's fight with liver cancer. He passed away November of 2009. We were married for 34+ wonderful years and this journals some of that grief process I've gone through.

I have since remarried another widower, but Mike is missed dearly, and will always be a big part of my life.

At times, all of us will be called to act as witnesses to the suffering of another. We will be unable to affect the outcome physically. Words will fail us. Prayer will seem futile. And yet, the act of bearing witness to someone else's trials is a sacred sorrow that offers and astounding glimpse of eternal joy." by Ginger Garrett

"Being willing to stay with a loved one throughout their travail, can be difficult....YES! But offering yourselves as faithful companions on a dark and dreadful journey can be an unmeasured blessing." (paraphrased by me)

5.28.2010

Grief Share

I had a long conversation today with a new friend, who recently became a widower himself.  It helped me to listen to him share his heart, and to have an opportunity to share mine.  Who else could possibly understand, than someone who has suffered such a loss himself?

I'm encouraged this week to learn of a new grief support group starting up in our town.  I have been posting daily devotionals from this organization, Grief Share, on my blog for months now....but they also offer a 13 week course that church's can use in there community.  I'm anxious to attend.  I believe this is what I've been looking for, for months now.  Some place to go, where others are in the same boat as I am, and they can feel safe enough to share their deepest feelings, without being misunderstood.  We need help...even possibly from each other.....to figure out how to fight our way through all of these feelings we're left with.

I'm praying for healing in my own life, and hope I can be a blessing to others along the way.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Hello Beverly,

We are glad you are desiring to share the GriefShare devotions on your blog, and we definitely want God's healing Word to reach as many people as possible! Here is our policy, though, which you may not be aware of:

Our policy is to grant permission for people to share up to 13 daily devotions in their entirety. We have to set a limit because these devotions are also available in book format, and we have an agreement/contract with the publisher, Thomas Nelson Publishing.

You are always welcome to provide links to our websites and devotionals and to let people know about how to sign up for the emails and how to find a GriefShare group!

If you could delete the existing devotions on the blog and narrow it down to 13, and then please use the following source citation with the 13 devotions posted:

---
© MMIII, MMV by Church Initiative. Used by permission. Please visit www.griefshare.org to sign up for the free daily devotions. The devotions are also available in book format: Through a Season of Grief by Bill Dunn.
----

Let us know if you have any questions about GriefShare. I hope you'll find great comfort and encouragement in the GriefShare group that you mentioned visiting. I can't express what a blessing and wonderful thing the groups are. So much healing is found there.

In Him,
Kathy Leonard

Editorial Director
Church Initiative

Phone: 800-395-5755 x130
Fax: 434-591-2483
Email: kleonard@churchinitiative.org

Church Initiative
PO Box 1739
Wake Forest, NC 27588

http://www.churchinitiative.org
Equipping churches for results

DivorceCare: divorce recovery support groups
http://www.divorcecare.org
DivorceCare for Kids: divorce recovery for children
http://www.dc4k.org
Before You Divorce: marriage crisis counseling tool
http://www.beforeyoudivorce.org
GriefShare: grief recovery support groups
http://www.griefshare.org
Facing Forever: evangelism and outreach resource
http://www.facingforever.org
Chance to Change: gambling addiction recovery groups
http://www.chancetochange.org