Grieving with Hope

Grieving With Hope

"Since we do not grieve 

like those who have no hope,

 just how do we grieve with hope?

Here is one suggestion. 

Use your loved one’s personal Bibles,

 hymn books, devotional booklets, 

prayer books, catechism, or

old Bible class studies

 for your own study and devotions. 

There is a visceral connection 

when your hands hold the books they held, 

your eyes see the print their eyes saw, 

your voice sings what they sang,

 and the same Comforter enters your heart

 that entered their heart.

Annotate some of these books 

with memories about times, thoughts, 

and prayers you shared. 

Give some of these books to your children.

 Do you still have any of the Arch Books 

or Purple Puzzle Tree books 

that your loved one read to children? 

Read them to the children again 

and give the books to them.

Some of my favorite tools 

for grieving with hope are: 

my mother’s hymn book 

(it was a confirmation gift 

to her from her brothers);

 a set of commentaries 

that was a gift to my father 

from the Sunday School staff that he taught; 

a copy of the Parallel Bible 

that my father used for many years

 and then gave to my husband 

that he also used for years; 

two hymn books that my husband 

used to prepare services; 

a Bible study 

that my mother’s mother wrote 

(my uncle had a copy 

and his children copied it for me.)"
Natalie Hartwig

What faith legacy things 

do you have to pass to the next generation?

Perhaps a Journaling Bible 

will lend a view to your heart prayers.

 Perhaps you will leave a filled out copy of

 "Walking with the Lord"

 in your Bible for your family.

I (Connie) have one filled out 
and in my personal Bible.

Here is the link to download the form:

walking-with-the-lord-worksheet
(it is a free download resource 
at Visual Faith Ministry)

Thanks to Contributing Writer-

Natalie Hartwig 

for these words of encouragement-

 written for a friend, 

but a blessing to all of us.