Grieving the Loss of a Loved One : A Devotional Companion

by Kathe Wunnenberg

• ISBN13: 9780310227786
• ISBN10: 031022778X
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-02-01
• Publisher: Zondervan

Summary

Death is an inevitable and constant part of life, yet those who grieve often feel misunderstood and alone in their journey, says Kathe Wunnenberg, author of Grieving the Loss of a Loved One. This compassionate book acts as a daily devotional companion to hurting people. Designed for adult readers of all ages and stages in the grieving process, it is sensitively written by an author who suffered three miscarriages and the death of an infant son. She knows from firsthand experience that there are no easy answers for those who mourn. Sixty devotions cover the many stages of grieving, including readings for holidays, birthdays, and special occasions, when grief can be particularly painful. Readers will walk away from the short thematic devotions and feel validated, connected to someone who knows how they truly feel, and with renewed hope in God. Friends and family members who sincerely want to help the grieving can give this book as a meaningful, beneficial expression of their love and concern.

Author Biography

Kathe Wunnenberg is the coeditor of Faith at Work, a monthly publication aimed at Christian women in the workplace, and lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with her husband and two sons.

Table of Contents

Contents

Acknowledgments

Readings for Special Days or Needs

Your Journey Through Grief

Section 1: Denying

1. Journey Through the Fog to Reality

2. Out of the Gray Zone

3. Grief Mirage

4. Sailing to the Iceberg of Denial

5. Truth or Denial?

Section 2: Venting

6. Journey to the Volcano of Anger

7. Journey from Envy to Admiration

8. Journey to Still Water

9. Hidden Longings

10. Jetty of Calm

Section 3: Questioning

11. Wandering Through the Wilderness of “Why”

12. The Mystery of Death’s Timing

13. Stranded on “If Only” Island

14. Why Not Me?

15. From Tragedy to Triumph

Section 4: Bargaining

16. Journey to the Marketplace of Bargaining

17. Father Knows Best

18. God Delivered More Than I Bargained For

19. Let’s Make a Deal

20. Bargaining with Uncertainty About Your Loved One’s Eternal Future

Section 5: Crying

21. Facing the Flash Floods of Tears

22. Happy-Sad Tears

23. “Remembering” Tears

24. Others’ Tears

25. Growing Tears

Section 6: Surrendering

26. Journey into the Fire of Surrender

27. Running from God

28. Required Courses

29. On the Other Side of However

30. Receiving a Lift Is a Gift

Section 7: Accepting

31. Seated at the Table of Acceptance

32. New Clothes

33. Lighten Up!

34. A Tissue and a Candle

35. “I’ll Do It”

Section 8: Praising

36. The Pathway Through Pain

37. Mountain Mover

38. Pain Producing Praise

39. Deep Roots

40. Journey to the Schoolhouse of Praise

Section 9: Being

41. Being with the Shepherd

42. Being in the Darkness

43. Slow Down and Detour to the School of Being

44. Journey to the Cocoon of Being

45. Enjoy the Now

Section 10: Celebrating

46. Celebrate Your Framed Memories

47. The Memory Box

48. A Trophy to Remember

49. Remember, Yet Celebrate!

50. Journey from Winter to Springtime

Section 11: Relating

51. Landscaping Loss into Your Life

52. Grief Mentor

53. Connecting Through Loss

54. Expect the Unexpected

55. Journey to the Pond of Relating

Section 12: Living

56. Journey to the Lighthouse of Living

57. Living with New Roles and Expectations

58. Being Thankful Is in Order

59. Living Beyond the “No”

60. Living in the Father’s Arms

Suggested Resources

Excerpts

Your Journey Through Grief
Losing someone you love through death is painful and personal. You soon learn that grief can’t be confined to a method, time frame, or event; it’s a process. Grief is an unpredictable, solitary, and unforgettable experience, one that can’t be healed in a moment, a month, or even a lifetime. Grief ebbs and flows, like the swelling waves of an ocean. One moment we feel engulfed by a wave of sorrow. The next we are lifted by waves of hope and acceptance. Grief is an irregular tide that often takes us by surprise.
How you respond to it determines the quality and direction of your life. You can choose to allow it to drown you emotionally, or you can allow loss to enlarge your soul. As difficult as it is to lose a loved one, grief can deepen you as a person and increase your empathy and your trust in God. Loss can open your eyes to see the same world from a different viewpoint . . . with new scenery. In that sense, grief is a journey.
Whether you’ve recently suffered loss and are beginning your grief journey, are several years into your journey, or are somewhere in between, a void will always exist in your life from losing your loved one. Each season of your life may find you blazing a new trail as you discover a different dimension of your loss. And just when you think your journey through grief has finally ended, you see a fork in the road and find yourself trudging down a familiar path that you’ve walked before.
Grieving the Loss of a Loved One gives you permission to be who you are and where you are in your journey. Take a moment to glance at the table of contents. You may want to use it as your compass, helping you to find the section of the book that best fits your need each day. Or you may want to read the book straight through, one devotional per day. However you use the book, let it help you wherever you are on the journey.
If you need to cry, weep with all your heart.
If you need to vent, tell God the whole truth about how you’re feeling.
If you’re ready to celebrate, do it with gusto.
My hope is that you will adopt Grieving the Loss of a Loved One as a personal companion. Think of it as a good friend with whom you can share laughs, tears, dreams, and your innermost thoughts. Whether you read this devotional guide daily or as the need arises, highlight it, dog-ear it, write in it. My prayer is that it will be a tool to guide you to a deeper understanding of who God is.
I pray the stories that follow will comfort your soul and give you courage to press on in your journey. What I have written has grown out of my personal experience of losing my infant son and three children through miscarriages; being married to a man who lost both of his parents as a child; and encountering life losses through my parents’ divorce, cross-country moves, infertility, adoption, and career transitions.
I believe that God, who suffered the loss of His only Son, understands our worst pain and our darkest thoughts. Wherever you are on the journey through grief, God wants not only to speak to you but also to draw near. I hope the stories, Scripture, prayers, and the opportunity to record your own thoughts, questions, and prayers in the journal section will help to bring healing and a closer relationship with the one who loves you.
I am convinced that we sometimes go through difficult experiences so we can encourage others who will later endure similar hardships. As a matter of fact, this book wouldn’t have been possible without the men, women, and children who shared their personal insights and stories. I have written this book not as an expert, not as someone who has arrived, but as a fellow griever, still on the journey. Behind the pages of Grieving the Loss of a Loved One is a person who can relate to at least some of what you are experiencing. And behind that person is a faithful God.

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Excerpted from Grieving the Loss of a Loved One: A Devotional Companion by Katherine Wunnenberg
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.