June 10, 2023
“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”
– Martin Luther King
When Joan’s husband died after 61 years of marriage, Deacon Jack shared a painful truth with her: “This will be the hardest job God will ever ask of you — to give back your loved one.” He was right, it was the hardest. And he spoke from experience because he was no stranger to grief.
When his wife died in her late 40s, he was left with six children to care for.
The shock and pain were so overwhelming, he went into the basement, where they couldn’t hear him cry and pound on the concrete walls with his fist.
Then, something happened. He had a dream, and in the dream, his late wife comforted him and assured him that even though he was enduring great suffering, things would work out … and that she would always be watching over him and their children.
Somehow, he managed to work through his grief, along with his job at the university and the responsibilities and crises that come with parenting.
A few years later, he met a woman in a group for widows and widowers and got remarried. Their united family, which added four more kids, brought him and his new wife countless joys … and just as many challenges. But it was worth the effort.
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Loss is something we all share. You may think you are alone, but you’re not. Many of the people who try to comfort you are speaking from experience that was born of their personal pain.