A couple of weeks ago, I lost my grandpa. He wasn’t just a grandpa to me. He was more like a second dad. Losing him was and is one of the hardest losses I’ve ever faced. I’m still mourning him, and it’s been a struggle. However, I know what it is to mourn; I’ve lost loved ones before. It never gets any easier, but it does get manageable.
Grief is a lot like a wave. Sometimes you can see it coming, but you don’t realize its power until it washes over you. Sometimes you don’t see it coming, and you lose your footing underneath you and can’t catch your breath fast enough. Sometimes all you can see is wave after wave, coming in fast and furious with little breaks in between the next one. Sometimes you get washed under, and it feels like you’re drowning. And sometimes you do get breaks in the waves, and you learn to ride them out.
No matter how the waves come at you, it’s an exhausting process. When you first experience a wave, a very powerful one, your arms flail about and you try so hard to stay afloat. And sometimes, you need to be rescued. Faith, friends, and family are like buoys sent out to save you.
You then will find that the waves aren’t as scary as they first seemed. They’re actually a beautiful mystery. They can be calming, peaceful, and a reminder of God’s powerful grace. You learn that even though the waves leave you soaking wet in mourning, they also wash away the hurt. You see, the waves of grief strengthen us. Each wave makes us stronger for the next. So, we keep fighting the good fight.
While we’ll always miss the person we’ve lost, we have the waves to remind us of the presence they left behind. When we’re consumed with sadness, a wave comes in to remind us we’re still alive. We can feel the sting of the wave, taste the salty water, touch the power of the ocean, and hear the roar of the crashes. But we’re still alive, and their memory lives on in us. The waves remind us that we are strong and able, strong and able to keep going, just like they would want us to.
There is beauty in the waves of grief. It takes some getting used to, but we’ll make it through. Oh yes, friend, we’ll make it through. Because eventually, the waves will smooth and polish you into the beautiful rock that are.
