By Betsy Hall, Pastor of Care & Spiritual Formation

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Matthew 5:4, NIV

If I’ve learned anything in life it’s grief feels awful and mourning is important.

In my life the deepest grief and mourning I’ve experienced is when I lost my Dad, my sister Katie, and my Mom.

I was very close to my Dad, and when he died I was devastated.
When I had the mumps he played his guitar and sang me to sleep. He taught me to snow ski and dance (not like Pastor Jacob). He shared his love of gardening with me. When he died I had to go to counseling. I couldn’t get through it alone, and during those sessions I told the counselor stories about him and cried (and in the Hall family we didn’t cry).

When my big sister Katie died, I was devastated again. I went back to counseling, told more stories, and cried.

Three years ago my Mom died. The house that we’d bought together was so quiet, and not in a good way. Deep sadness and loneliness followed. And the realization that everyone in my nuclear family was gone hit hard. I was alone.

This time I went to counseling and told stories about Mom, Katie, Dad, and other losses. The grief was heavy. I was mourning. I was crying a lot.

It’s taken time but eventually through counseling and sitting in the silence with God, I’ve come to the other side. I can actually cry now, feel sad about other losses, and miss my people. I know now that God helped me through all these losses and grief by placing the right people in my path.

What are you mourning?
People? A job that was really a calling? Friends you had to leave behind because of a move? Decisions you’ve made? A future that doesn’t look anything like what you thought it would be?

Sometimes we need help getting through the grief, the loss, and the mourning. In those times we need “Jesus with skin on,” a trusted friend or counselor to listen to our stories and allow us space to cry and to mourn.

If you need a referral to a counselor, use the link below to reach out to Allison Vines, Director of Care. I did, and it helped!
https://prov.church/ministries/care/#counseling