After the wife of C.S. Lewis died he wrote, “Her absence is like the sky, spread over everything.” Just when you think the beast of grief is gone, you pass a restaurant where the two of you used to eat, or you hear a song she loved. And the giant of grief keeps stirring up. You see couples and long for your mate. You see parents with kids and yearn for your child. The giant stirs up insomnia, loss of appetite, even thoughts of suicide. Grief is not a mental illness, but it sure feels like one sometimes.

Jesus understands. Next to the tomb of his dear friend, “Jesus wept.” And in his tears we find permission to shed our own. Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 7:3 (NLT), “Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us.” Face your grief. Permit yourself tears. God understands, and he will get you through this.

Read more Facing Your Giants: God Still Does the Impossible

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