Praying Our Goodbyes

by Rupp, Joyce

• ISBN13: 9780804110600
• ISBN10: 0804110603
• Format: Trade Book
• Copyright: 1999-05-01
• Publisher: Ivy Books

Summary

Letting go of what we cherish is one of the hardest things we ever have to do. And that includes letting go of jobs, homes, relationships, good health, illusions, self-importance, and even loved ones. But unless we learn to say goodbye as well as hello, we are crippled by our suffering. This tender and realistic book can be your personal guide to accepting our inevitable goodbyes even as it reminds us that when we are suffering most deeply, the seed of hope still lives within us. Discover the emotions that goodbyes awaken and turn to the twenty-four specific prayers designed to help you deal with nearly every imaginable kind of loss. PRAYING OUR GOODBYES should not be kept for special occasions, however, for its poetic wisdom offers the means of enriching every day, of saying hello and goodbye to every precious moment of life.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
Preface	1	(6)
Introduction	7	(4)
CHAPTER ONE The Ache of Autumn in Us	11	(11)
CHAPTER TWO I Know How the Flowers Felt	22	(18)
CHAPTER THREE Hello--Goodbye--Hello	40	(16)
CHAPTER FOUR Like a Flock of Homesick Cranes	56	(15)
CHAPTER FIVE Praying Our Goodbyes	71	(20)
CHAPTER SIX New Melodies Break Forth From the Heart	91	(21)
Prayers for Those Experiencing Goodbyes	112	(63)
Prayer of One Seeking Shelter in the Storms of Life	114	(3)
Prayer of One Who Feels Broken Apart	117	(2)
Prayer of a Pilgrim Who Struggles With the Journey	119	(3)
Prayer for a Lonely,Day	122	(2)
Prayer to Regain One's Inner Strength	124	(2)
Prayer of Farewell to One Who Is Leaving	126	(2)
Prayer of One Who Has Been Betrayed By Another	128	(3)
Prayer of One Who Is in Constant Physical Pain	131	(2)
Prayer of One Who Feels Lost	133	(3)
Prayer of One Experiencing Adult Transition	136	(2)
Prayer of One Who Is Moving On	138	(3)
Prayer of One Terminating a Relationship	141	(3)
Prayer When a Loved One Has Died	144	(2)
Prayer For Trust When Experiencing a Loss	146	(3)
Prayer of One Who Waits in Darkness	149	(1)
Prayer of Goodbye to the Lies of My Life	150	(3)
Prayer of Parents Whose Child Has Died	153	(3)
Prayer to Unite With Jesus in Suffering	156	(3)
Prayer of One Who Feels Terribly Poor Inside	159	(3)
Prayer for One Going to a New Ministry	162	(2)
Prayer to Accept a Parent	164	(3)
Prayer of One Weary With Walking Others Through Their Goodbyes	167	(2)
Prayer of One Who Needs Inner Healing	169	(2)
Prayer of One Who Yearns For a New Heart	171	(4)
Selected Bibliography	175