Welcome to our weekly edition of the Five Minute Friday writing prompt link-up!
Every week, a community of writers of all ages and stages gathers around a single word prompt to freewrite for five minutes flat. You’re welcome to write by hand in your own journal like this one and keep your work to yourself, or post publicly to share for others to appreciate and enjoy.
If you’re interested in joining the blog link-up, click here to learn more.
We’ve all felt it this year, in one way or another.
Grief.
Some of us have lost loved ones. I know of three different people who lost family members within the past week.
Some of us have lost jobs. Most of us have lost opportunities, planned experiences, and a sense of normalcy.
Some of us have lost hope.
We’ve grieved the loss of gathering for weddings, graduations, births, and funerals. We’ve felt the pang of isolation, the fear of uncertainty, the heartsick feeling of deferred hope.
Sometimes the grief is recognizable; other times it is sneaky an indiscernible, masked and hidden behind other feelings and emotions.
Sometimes we try to ignore it, push it aside, hide it away. But it’s good to name it. To give it the space it demands. To let it show its face and do what it came to do. To serve its purpose, whatever that may be on any given day.
Grief can be necessary for us to grow, to heal, and to appreciate hope in the promised life to come.
I may never learn to embrace it and I certainly don’t enjoy its presence, but I acknowledge its purpose and trust the Lord to use even grief to accomplish His work in our lives.
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The holiday season can bring about a sense of grief more acute than other times of the year.
If you or someone you know is familiar with grief, I wrote this for you:
My prayer is that this little book will help those who are struggling with grief to find words
to process, express, and reflect upon the countless emotions wrapped up in the grief experience.
Includes lined pages for journaling and reflection. Makes a great gift!
Affiliate links used above
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Join the link-up below, then read your neighbor’s post and leave an encouraging comment:Â
Grief for all that I have lost,
and grief for loss to come;
I really cannot bear the cost,
and wish that I might run
into a future bright and clear,
and void of veils of sorrow,
where I might need never fear
the pain that comes tomorrow.
If this, though, could be my lot,
it would take a fearful tool,
for it would mean that I forgot
the loves that made me whole,
whose memory, though fraught with sadness
has saved me from a lonely madness.
I can see the poetry beginning in this 5 minute writing. You have the ability to see pain of grief through poetry. It’s deep.
Grief is a hard emotion but if we don’t go through it – it keeps bouncing back.
When I think of grief, I think of the pain of loss. Loss of my dad. Loss of my nephew, Justin. Loss of my innocence.
Losing my dad was a six year and beyond battle with grief. His brain tumor rocked our family to its core. Though we had lost Justin instantly and way too soon, losing Dad was a long grief-filled battle with cancer.
The pain was unbearable at times. Other times, it was the next logical step with his treatment. Knowing this is how we’d lose Dad and not knowing the pain level or struggle he would go through was the hardest, most painful trial I’ve ever experienced
So true.
That sneak grief is the worst! When my father died, I knew I was in mourning. I was given space to hurt and time to heal. But when we don’t know we are mourning, or others around us don’t, it’s not so easy to deal with the grief.
Amie, FMF #16
Going without you is like
Running with no purpose
In circles.
Everything seems
Flat and worthless.
Faith tells me I should be able to trust for
Every day and everything
In every circumstance but
Running alone seems hard today.
Go with me, gentle God.
Grief is a reason why we should always treat others with gentleness and compassion–we never know if grief drives their behavior.
Sometimes we try to ignore it, push it aside, hide it away. But it’s good to name it. To give it the space it demands. To let it show its face and do what it came to do. To serve its purpose, whatever that may be on any given day.<—Your words here Kate…love love. I'm so thankful you continue to inspire us with your words and provide a space for Christian authors to connect via FMF. Thank you! Jennifer