Grief Changes You

In her book Inside the Broken Heart Julie Yarbrough talks about how grief changes us –

Inherent in grief is its power to change us.  Grief can impact us negatively or positively.

Grief can make us:

Stronger                    or               Weaker                       or               Embittered

More Faithful          or               Disillusioned            or               Spiritually Isolated

More Capable         or               Disabled                     or               Dysfunctional

Independent           or              Dependent                  or               Helpless

Wiser                         or              Stubborn                     or               Willful

Deliberate               or              Impulsive                   or               Rash

Change offers two possibilities. We grow, or we remain rooted in a physical and emotional past that no longer exists.  To grow or not to grow is the central choice of grief.  We are forced to change, but we choose whether we grow.  When we grow, we claim life moving forward.  When we resist, we succumb to the past, spending our days in frustration and self-pity.

Life continues to unfold when we dare to grow.  Growth moves us to a new place in life that inspires our reinvestment in the future.  Our faith emboldens us to grow and change through the experience of grief.

For me personally even though grief has made me vulnerable it has also made me stronger and more independent.  Grief has made me much more aware of the needs of others – especially those who have suffered a loss.  It has forced me to take a look deep inside my heart and see things that have been shut up inside a closet behind a locked door.  Grief has caused me to be much more willing to be honest about exactly what I am feeling and to voice those feelings. I am able to now stand up for myself when necessary.  Because of grief, I am trying to do things that I would have never thought I could do.

How has your grief changed?

How has grief changed you?