Overcoming the pain of loss

26Apr

Create in me a clean heart, O God, 

and renew a right spirit within me.


Cast me not away from your presence 
and take not your holy Spirit from me.

Give me the joy of your saving help again 
and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.

- Psalm 51: 11-13

A few of the readings recently talk about someone leaving and returning - Moses leaving to go up Mt. Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments (along with some especially morbid directives on sacrifice) and Timothy leaving to check on the faith of believers after the death of Christ.  


I’ve been thinking a lot about people leaving, whether that be moving away, relationships dissolving, or even passing away. Sometimes we have time to prepare; sometimes we initiate the separation; and sometimes it happens so suddenly and unexpectedly that we are left confused and grieving. Regardless, it is a loss, an absence of something or someone that held a place in our lives, and I wish I could say I handled these situations well. But… 


Loss is hard because it deprives us of direction. It knocks us off balance from the equilibrium we’ve built through our community. Some losses are far more profound than others, but all of them render us powerless in that moment (even the ones we initiate because we are powerless to change the other person). Loss requires a resetting of how we see and operate in the world around us. Sometimes this is as small as who we say “Hi!” to at work in the morning when that person leaves the organization, and sometimes it is as profound as who we confide our deepest truths in moments of anguish and distress.  


The Psalm today offers a way to recalibrate, a way to wipe away all connections except the relationship with God. In that relationship, there is joy and salvation. There is a sustaining energy that lifts our spirit through the Holy Spirit. There is also a promise of help to overcome the pains of loss and to return to a place of fulfillment… if we only ask.  

Musical Reflection - Create in Me a Clean Heart - Acapella Company

Gracious God, keep my heart open and renewed for changes as they will inevitably come along. Help me remember that you are always steadfast. Amen.

PsalmsEaster

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