A Moment to Pause
As I was sitting outside to work on this in front of the Hope Mobile on our beautiful seasonal site, I had to close my laptop, set it aside, and enjoy the beauty all around me. I had to stop and allow God to do for me what I was writing about that He will do for others – for you.
Grandchild number nine was born this week. The day after being released from the hospital, the mom was taken by ambulance back to the hospital, looking like she had had a stroke. It had been several hours, and we had not heard anything else, and my mind was going in all kinds of directions, as you can imagine.
The Lord is my Shepherd. I have everything I need. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul – my favorite version says, “He restores my inner person.”
I sure needed that! All of it!
Before I go on, let me say it turned out to be a mini stroke with no lasting symptoms, thankfully, caused by high blood pressure which is being taken care of.
Green Pastures and Gentle Rest
Let’s look at the Shepherd making us lie down in green pastures. Some translations say “He gives me rest” or “lets me rest” in green pastures.
Obviously, lying down is a picture of rest. A sheep would not be safe lying down without the watchful eye of the shepherd.
To me, “green pastures” symbolize a place of rest, nourishment, and peace. When we allow it, God will lead us to places where we can have moments of hope and moments of strength. This is not our peace and our strength, but His peace and His strength that comes through to us in this place of suffocating darkness.
Having the shepherd encourage us to lie down in these green pastures also speaks to me that He is not expecting us to hurry up and get over it. He isn’t expecting it to be a quick fix, like some of our family and friends. The Shepherd’s pace is gentle and personal, and He plans to stay with us for however long it takes.
Still Waters and Silent Presence
Our Shepherd not only causes us to lie down in green pastures, but He leads us beside still waters.
Our grief often feels like drowning in a storm, with waves of sorrow crashing down on us unpredictably. Allowing the Shepherd to lead us to “still waters” offers relief. It is a place of having the opportunity to feel a bit of hope, which can feel refreshing, even if it is only for a few moments here and there.
Still waters are quiet. As grieving parents, we often find ourselves in places where words and well-meaning advice don’t help. Even Scripture can feel hollow. In those quiet, wordless places, God draws near. He doesn’t always speak loudly. Sometimes He just sits with you in the silence. Still waters are where His presence is felt, not explained.
The still waters come just before the verse, “He restores my soul.”
The Restoration of the Soul
We know that Jesus is the Shepherd. In Matthew 11:28 He said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
This place of rest is where He can restore our soul. Entering His rest isn’t a time and position, but sometimes that is where it starts. I learned very early how important it was to rest in God by just being with Him. I didn’t have to do anything but be loved on and comforted. This is the place I want you to find as well, as early as possible.
God kept pointing out to me that He wanted me to rest in Him and in the deep love He has for me during this dark time when I felt so devastated, lost and confused.
A Gentle Process
Learning how to live in that place of resting in God has been a process. The pain can still be pretty intense at times, making me feel like I am going backwards, losing that peace and the place of rest.
Sometimes, I will picture myself being led by the Good Shepherd, lying down in lush meadows and sitting beside quiet waters, as He restores my inner person. And on days like I talked about when starting this episode, I love actually being somewhere that has so much beautiful greenery, looking out over some water, with birds chirping and flying around, chipmunks chasing each other, squirrels running up and down the trees, and a rabbit hopping around in the distance.
I can feel like God created that beauty at that exact moment, just so He can use it to restore my inner person.
How Are You Resting?
So, let me ask you, how are you doing in the “resting in Him” department? Do you set aside time here and there, determined to let go of your anxious thoughts, your fears, your doubts and your anger, by allowing the presence of His peace to push it all away, even if it is just for a moment?
We have spent three weeks talking about Psalm 23:1–2. I know that grief does not disappear with a scripture verse. But when words fail, the picture of a loving Shepherd providing green pastures and still waters can be something a broken heart can lean into, as if God is saying directly to you,
“I see you. I’m with you, and I will not let go. I am staying with you for however long it takes, and I will lead you step-by-step back to a place where my goodness can be seen in your life once again.”
NOTE: This was partially taken from the Grieving Parents Sharing Hope podcast episode 299. Click here to listen to the full discussion, or look for the Grieving Parents Sharing Hope podcast on your favorite listening app.
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AWARD WINNING AUTHOR, LAURA DIEHL, has written several impactful books that provide comfort and guidance to those navigating the painful journey of child loss, after the death of her own daughter in 2011. Her most acclaimed work, When Tragedy Strikes: Rebuilding Your Life with Hope and Healing After the Death of Your Child, has received multiple accolades, including the 2017 Gold Medal Centauri Christian Book Award for Non-Fiction and a Silver Medal in the 2018 Illumination Awards. Several of her other books have won awards as well.
In addition to her writing, Laura is an ordained minister and has an extensive background in international children’s ministry. She is a sought-after speaker and singer at grief conferences and churches, known for her compassionate approach and deep understanding of the grieving process, especially the unique loss of a child. Through her weekly award-winning podcast, her writings, and other resources provided by GPS Hope, Laura and her husband, Dave, continue to provide hope and healing to thousands of parents worldwide, helping them find light in the midst of profound loss and darkness.
For more information about Laura’s award-winning books go to gpshope.org/books.
To find out more about Laura Diehl and the ministry of Grieving Parents Sharing Hope (GPS Hope) visit gpshope.org.
From Survival to New Purpose
The Shepherd Who Has Everything We Need
I have recently had several moms tell me that they didn’t think they ever would or could get past the darkness, but now two years, or three years, or five years after their child’s death, something is stirring inside them that they want to start feeling alive again. I see this as a sign that the “winter” of grief is coming to a close, and the new growth of spring is on its way.
press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring. Hosea 6:3 (NLT)
Sharing Hope (
Every morning when we wake up, at some point the realization hits us that our child is no longer here and will not be part of our day. It can feel like they died all over again.
If someone has an amputation, first they must heal, both physically and emotionally, from having that body part cut off; and the emotional healing takes much longer than the physical.
who have lost a child, anything under five years is considered fresh grief. So, I am not surprised when a bereaved parent does not believe they will ever have a life worth living again. I know I didn’t believe it.
she only had a stump instead of her leg. She didn’t look like the other kids. She couldn’t run and keep up with them. She had limitations. Every day she woke up with the reminder that her leg was missing, and every day, sometimes multiple times a day, she had to be determined not to let it stop her from still having a fulfilling life.
Eventually the waves aren’t as big, making it easier to get back to the top when you get thrown under them.
and have dealt with more tangled balls and skeins of yarn than I could ever count! There have been times the tangle was so frustrating that I quit trying and just put it away for another time. There have also been times I literally cut the yarn into pieces, trying to get it untangled (which made for a lot of ends to have to knit together)!
Whatever you do, don’t compare where you are to anyone else, especially those who have never experienced the death of their child! You are untangling your own messy ball of grief, and it is unlike anyone else’s. There is no right or wrong way and there are NO time limits!
