Grief is hard. It’s devastating. It’s debilitating.

For those of you reading this that are grieving, I pray for you often. I love you and pray God’s encouragement into your heart.

All praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the source of every mercy and the God who comforts us.  He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. You can be sure that the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.  So when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your benefit and salvation! For when God comforts us, it is so that we, in turn, can be an encouragement to you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer.  We are confident that as you share in suffering, you will also share God’s comfort. 2 Cor 1:3-7 (NLT)

While we all grieve differently, which is normal, some are grieving in a very grievous way like a parent that has lost their son or daughter.  Pastor Levi Lusko writes in his book Through the Eyes of a Lion:

“When a woman’s husband dies, she is called a widow. If it’s the husband who survives, he becomes a widower. Children who lose their parents are called orphans. But what do you call a mom or a dad who has had to face the death of a child? There is no title for that. I suppose that is because there really are no words to describe such a thing. We were shattered. Devastated.” – Levi Lusko, Through the Eyes of a Lion, p37

My heart is a little heavier this week. My good friend and fellow Pastor Scott Cox and his wife Nancy lost their precious son Christian this week. He was 19.  Please pray for them.  If you’d like to support them with their unexpected financial burdens, please visit: https://www.youcaring.com/scott-and-nancy-cox-515623

While there isn’t a name for a parent who has lost a child (and I’d add a brother or sister losing their sibling), the Lord knows intimately the deep searing pain that simply does not go away. He alone can comfort.

 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.
 1 Cor 12:26 (NLT)