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June 20, 2025 by Laura Diehl Leave a Comment

Is God Punishing Me for My Past? A Word for Grieving Parents Struggling with Guilt

Blog graphic with the text ‘Is God Punishing Me for My Past? A Word for Grieving Parents Struggling with Guilt’ on a calming blue background.

I get enough emails on this topic that I knew it was time to talk about it in a deeper way. Some of you are wrestling with a haunting question that you may not even dare to say out loud:

Did God allow my child to die as a punishment for something I did—or didn’t do?

Let me say this as clearly and firmly as I can:

No. God is NOT punishing you.

I can say that with confidence, and I want to share why.

Suffering Is Not the Same as Punishment

The Bible gives us so many examples showing that suffering is not a sign of God’s punishment.

  • John the Baptist was beheaded in his 30s, and yet Jesus said no prophet was greater than him (John 14:3–12).
  • When Jesus healed the blind man in John 9, people asked, “Who sinned? This man or his parents?” Jesus said, “Neither.”
  • Job was called blameless by God, yet he lost all 10 of his children and suffered immensely.
  • Mary, the mother of our Savior, watched her perfect, sinless son be executed on a cross.

He came to take on all the punishment—past, present, and future. That’s the gift of the cross.

If suffering equals punishment, then Jesus’ death was pointless. But we know it wasn’t. He came to take on all the punishment—past, present, and future. That’s the gift of the cross.

Yes, we all deal with consequences in this life. If I speed, I might get a ticket or worse. But poverty, sickness, and suffering? These things are part of our fallen, broken world. The rain falls on the just and the unjust.

If God were punishing people by taking their children, we would see people dropping dead all around us because their parent messed up. That’s not how God works.

We live in a broken world. And though your child’s death is tragic, it is not God’s punishment for anything you’ve done.

The World Is Violent—God Is Not

I watched a fascinating interview between Eugene Peterson (the translator of The Message Bible) and Bono from U2. One thing Bono said really stuck with me: “God isn’t a violent God, but the world is a violent place.”

We live in a broken world. And though your child’s death is tragic, it is not God’s punishment for anything you’ve done. If you’ve been carrying that weight, I invite you to lay it down at the foot of the cross—once and for all.

Let’s Talk About Guilt

Guilt comes in all kinds of forms. Maybe you feel like you should have said or done something differently. Sometimes what we call guilt is actually regret.

But I want to talk about a different kind of guilt—the kind where you feel responsible for something your child did.

A mom once emailed me about her son who died in a car accident. He crossed the center line, and not only did he lose his life, but so did two others. She was devastated and overwhelmed with guilt—not just for his death, but for what he had done.

But here’s the truth: it was an accident. No matter what caused it—distraction, fatigue, recklessness—it was not intentional. That’s what makes it an accident.

And it was not this mother’s fault. She wasn’t driving. She wasn’t even in the car. And yet she felt like she didn’t have the right to grieve her own son’s death as deeply as the parents who lost their daughter and unborn grandchild.

If this sounds familiar, I want to say something straight to your heart:

Your child’s death, no matter how it happened, is a devastating loss. And your right to grieve is not dependent on the circumstances.

You do have the right to grieve your child—no matter the circumstances.

Your grief is real. It’s valid. And you are allowed to cry, to scream, to ache.

Sometimes we hold on to guilt as a way to “pay” for our pain, thinking it makes our grief more acceptable. But sometimes that guilt is actually masking a deeper guilt—the guilt of letting ourselves grieve.

Let me ask you this: If your close friend’s child caused an accident like this, would you tell her she was a bad mom? Would you say she should feel guilty? Of course not.

You would probably wrap your arms around her, offer compassion, and remind her that what happened wasn’t her fault.

So why do you believe this about yourself? Your child’s death, no matter how it happened, is a devastating loss. And your right to grieve is not dependent on the circumstances.

Releasing Guilt That Isn’t Yours

I watched a TED Talk by the mother of one of the Columbine shooters. Her son killed twelve students and a teacher before taking his own life. The world shamed her: “How could you not know?” She took on that guilt for years.

Eventually, she realized that what her son did was not her fault. And now, she speaks out for greater awareness of mental illness.

Like her, it’s okay for you to let go of guilt that doesn’t belong to you.

Maybe in your head you already know this… but your heart hasn’t caught up yet. So let this truth settle into your soul:

Jesus already took your guilt. Before you were born. Before your child was born. He carried it all to the cross your sin, your shame, your guilt and paid the price in full.Jesus already took your guilt. Before you were born. Before your child was born. He carried it all to the cross—your sin, your shame, your guilt—and paid the price in full.

You may be asking God to take away your guilt, but He already has. The gift is waiting. Now it’s your turn to accept it.

A better prayer might be:

“Lord, help me accept the gift of freedom that You’ve already given. Help me release this guilt that isn’t mine to carry. Help me walk in the freedom that You died to give me.”

Freedom Is Already Yours

If Christ is in you, then freedom is in you. We often think of that in relation to sin, but let’s go a step deeper.

Unforgiveness is a sin. And isn’t guilt often a form of not forgiving yourself?

I’m not saying this to heap more guilt on you. I’m saying it to give you another reason to let yourself off the hook.

You Are Not Being Punished

Let’s circle back to where we began:

You are not being punished.

God is not angry with you. He hasn’t turned His back on you.

If you’re struggling with guilt—over your child’s death, your parenting, or a thousand imagined “what ifs”—Jesus sees it. He carried it. He is offering you peace.

Reach out and take it.


NOTE: This was partially taken from the Grieving Parents Sharing Hope podcast episode 301. Click here to listen to the full discussion, or look for the Grieving Parents Sharing Hope podcast on your favorite listening app.

You can grieve while holding on to grace. And that means letting go of guilt.

If this touched your heart, I encourage you to share it with another grieving parent who may be quietly asking the same questions.

And if you’d like more encouragement, I’ve created a free resource called 10 Tips to Overcome Guilt. You can download below.

Remember: It’s okay to grieve while holding on to grace.


If you would like to join thousands of other bereaved parents receiving a weekly word of hope delivered to your inbox, let us know below.


Award-winning grief support books by Laura Diehl, including “When Tragedy Strikes,” “Reflections of Hope,” and “Hope for the Future,” shown with Illumination Book Awards.

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.

Filed Under: Expressions of Hope Tagged With: bereaved parents, bereaved parents awareness month, bereaved parents day, dreaming of your child's death, grief, grief and loss, grief anxiety, grieving parents, how to cope with the death of a child, how to deal with grief and loss of a loved one, how to deal with losing a son, how to handle grief at work and beyond, Laura Diehl, losing a daughter quotes, losing a daughter to death, loss of child, prayer for bereaved parents, what to say on anniversary of child's death​

June 13, 2025 by Laura Diehl Leave a Comment

When Dads Grieve: A Conversation on Faith, Family, and Holding On

When Dads Grieve: A Conversation on Faith, Family, and Holding On

I heard something recently that struck a deep chord in me: God does not call us to the outcome. He calls us to faithfulness.

That truth, shared by Dave in their conversation, set the tone for a heartfelt and honest dialogue between two grieving fathers, (Matt and Dave) who both know the pain of losing a child. They came from different circumstances: one a military loss, one after a long-term illness. But the emotions, the questions, and the faith they wrestled with were profoundly similar.

Different Losses, Shared Pain

Dave reflected on the unexpected loss of his daughter, Becca, who had a long-term illness. “Even though she was sick, her death still shocked us. Nothing really prepares you for that moment.” Matt, who lost his son, Eric, in the military, noted that while there’s always a lingering awareness of the risk in military families, “When it happens, it’s still shattering. And then the media… they show up within an hour, looking for a story, not fully grasping the gravity of your grief.”

Yet, as Matt shared, “God gave us a grace in that moment—just what we needed to get through it.”

Don’t Let This Pain Be Wasted

Inspirational quote: "God, don't let this pain be wasted." — gpshope.orgOne of the most poignant moments came when Dave recalled a prayer he whispered early in his grief: “God, don’t let this pain be wasted.” It became a turning point—a plea for purpose in the middle of anguish.

Grief experts say that the early stages of grief can last five years or more. “If you’re only a few months, or a couple of years in,” Dave said, “you’re still an early griever. Give yourself grace.”

The Role of Church and Family

Matt shared how grief gave him a renewed appreciation for church and family. “When someone lacks both—a church community and strong family ties—it’s even harder. The enemy tries to isolate us. My prayer is that people reinvest in those relationships.”

Quote image: “As time goes on, some don’t understand why you haven’t moved on, but God’s timeline for healing is not the world’s timeline.” – gpshope.orgDave agreed, adding that many grieving parents, especially Christians, struggle with returning to church. “Churches often rally in the beginning, but as time goes on, some don’t understand why you haven’t ‘moved on.’ But God’s timeline for healing is not the world’s timeline.”

What’s essential, they both emphasized, is pressing into God. “Let Him use your pain to deepen your relationship with Him,” said Dave. “Through Becca’s death, I gained a deeper understanding of God the Father’s love. If my love for her was so great, how much greater was His love in giving His own Son?”

Matt echoed that revelation: “I thought I’d pull away from God. But instead, it pulled me closer. Once you realize what God gave up for us, it compels you to stay the course.”

Father’s Day: Still Tender, Still Sacred

Both Matt and Dave spoke candidly about Father’s Day. For Dave, the first one after Becca passed was devastating. “It does ease a bit over the years, but that ache never fully leaves.”

Matt shared how his family honors his son, Eric, every year on June 5, the anniversary of his passing, leading up to Father’s Day. “We put out flags. We have a metal cutout of a kneeling soldier. Our neighbors know—it’s part of how we remember. And our other sons have honored me through their own growth and strength.”

For both men, Father’s Day became less something to avoid and more a way to remember—with reverence, with love, and with the joy of God’s healing.

A Call to Stay in the Game

A word of encouragement for fathers walking through grief: God sees your pain and meets you in it with strength and miracles. You are not alone. – gpshope.orgMatt left us with a powerful reflection: “Fathers have many chances to pull away when life gets hard. But when you hang in there—when you stay available, stay committed—it matters. On Father’s Day, when you’ve poured into your family, they pour back into you. That’s a miracle all its own.”

He continued, “To the dads out there: stay in the game. Push through the pain. Because that’s when God begins His most miraculous work.”

A Final Prayer

They closed their conversation in prayer—thanking God for families, for His strength, for His faithfulness.

“Lord, bless each father reading this today. Let them feel Your presence in their deepest places of grief. Help them press into You. Strengthen their families. And may their faith rise as they commit their ways to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Don’t Let the Pain Be Wasted

There’s no guidebook for grieving as a father. But in their conversation, Matt and Dave reminded us of something powerful: healing doesn’t mean forgetting. It means honoring. And above all, it means being faithful—even when the outcome is not what we prayed for.

As Dave said so well: “Don’t let this pain be wasted.”


NOTE: This was partially taken from the Grieving Parents Sharing Hope podcast episode 300. Click here to listen to the full discussion, or look for the Grieving Parents Sharing Hope podcast on your favorite listening app.

If you would like to join thousands of other bereaved parents receiving a weekly word of hope delivered to your inbox, let us know below.

Award-winning grief support books by Laura Diehl, including “When Tragedy Strikes,” “Reflections of Hope,” and “Hope for the Future,” shown with Illumination Book Awards.

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.

Filed Under: Expressions of Hope Tagged With: bereaved parents, bereaved parents awareness month, bereaved parents day, dreaming of your child's death, grief, grief and loss, grief anxiety, grieving parents, how to cope with the death of a child, how to deal with grief and loss of a loved one, how to deal with losing a son, how to handle grief at work and beyond, Laura Diehl, losing a daughter quotes, losing a daughter to death, loss of child, prayer for bereaved parents, what to say on anniversary of child's death​

June 6, 2025 by Laura Diehl Leave a Comment

Can I Trust God Leading Me?

A foggy forest path with the text 'Can I Trust God Leading Me?' displayed, highlighting the word 'Trust' in orange.

A Moment to Pause

Christian grief support quote with silhouette of person at sunset encouragement about God’s guidance, hope, and strength.

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

Faith-based grief quote about God’s gentle, personal guidance during healing “The Shepherd’s pace is gentle and personal…”

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

Christian grief quote about God’s presence in silence and stillness “Sometimes He just sits with you in the silence.

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

Encouraging Christian grief quote about the Shepherd’s comfort through green pastures and still waters during heartbreak.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.

If you would like to join thousands of other bereaved parents receiving a weekly word of hope delivered to your inbox, let us know below.

Award-winning grief support books by Laura Diehl, including “When Tragedy Strikes,” “Reflections of Hope,” and “Hope for the Future,” shown with Illumination Book Awards.

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.

Filed Under: Expressions of Hope Tagged With: bereaved parents, bereaved parents awareness month, bereaved parents day, dreaming of your child's death, grief, grief and loss, grief anxiety, grieving parents, how to cope with the death of a child, how to deal with grief and loss of a loved one, how to deal with losing a son, how to handle grief at work and beyond, Laura Diehl, losing a daughter quotes, losing a daughter to death, loss of child, prayer for bereaved parents, what to say on anniversary of child's death​

May 30, 2025 by Laura Diehl Leave a Comment

Psalm 23:1 Through the Eyes of Child Loss

Psalm 23:1 states that because the Lord is our Shepherd, we have everything we need. As a bereaved parent, that can be difficult to believe, because we feel like we need our child back!

The Need for Gritty Grace

One thing we truly desperately need is grace. But we don’t just need grace. As my friend Kim Avery (who lost a daughter from this earth) says, what we need at a time like this is “gritty grace.”

We don’t know for sure what it was, but we do know that there was something that was causing a lot of suffering for Paul. We read in 2 Corinthians 12 that Paul asked God three times to take this thing away, and three times God said, “No.”. But He also told Paul that His grace was “sufficient” (or just enough) to get him through whatever it was, and that God’s power was being seen through Paul’s weakness.

When we first find ourselves in this horrible place of pain and suffocating darkness, His grace is just enough to get us through each day, each hour, each minute, or just the next breath. (That is what Kim calls gritty grace.) But His grace is more than just barely making it through. It is also deep at work in us for when we come out of our place of darkness. He not only gives us the strength to endure but also starts changing what we want.

Our Shepherd isn’t just helping us survive, He is shifting our desires, giving us the power to do what we could never do on our own. When I say He is shifting our desires, I don’t mean that we stop loving or missing our child, but He changes what we think we need, which shifts us into the place of peace that we so desperately want and need.

From Survival to New Purpose

God’s grace will not only get us past just surviving, but to where we even start feeling happiness and joy. We can and will have meaning and purpose once again in our lives because of His grace; because He has everything we truly need.

I know some of you may think that is impossible. But nothing is impossible when it comes to God. Do you agree that it would take a miracle for your life to get to that place? Guess what? God is in the miracle working business.

His power is at work in us, shaping us into something absolutely beautiful, so much more than we can imagine. As we lean on and depend on Him to help us through, we become someone we never thought or even imagined that we could be.

The Shepherd Who Has Everything We Need

God’s grace is changing our focus from what we think we need, to what we really need, which is Him, as our Shepherd. This isn’t a consolation prize, or second best for those of us who didn’t get the miracle for our child that we wanted. It is God’s deepest, most personal and intimate work.

He is making us whole, with a strength that comes through His grace that we would not have any other way. This is why David could say in Psalm 23 that God has (and is) everything we need. We really don’t fully know the power of God’s grace, until we experience it in a way like this.

The Lord truly is Your Shepherd and has everything you need to get through this. Keep leaning into Him until you see the truth of it for yourself.


NOTE: This was partially taken from the Grieving Parents Sharing Hope podcast episode 298. Click here to listen to the full discussion, or look for the Grieving Parents Sharing Hope podcast on your favorite listening app.

If you would like to join thousands of other bereaved parents receiving a weekly word of hope delivered to your inbox, let us know below.

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.

 

 

Filed Under: Expressions of Hope Tagged With: bereaved parents, bereaved parents awareness month, bereaved parents day, dreaming of your child's death, grief, grief and loss, grief anxiety, grieving parents, how to cope with the death of a child, how to deal with grief and loss of a loved one, how to deal with losing a son, how to handle grief at work and beyond, Laura Diehl, losing a daughter quotes, losing a daughter to death, loss of child, prayer for bereaved parents, what to say on anniversary of child's death​

July 14, 2023 by Laura Diehl 6 Comments

Our Dark Thoughts in Grief

Our actions are based on our emotions. The way we are acting (or reacting) to the death of our child is based on our emotions. Our emotions run very deep. There is so much pain. There is so much confusion. There is darkness and a feeling of hopelessness. That is normal and natural.

But I believe with everything in me that is not where we have to stay.

My emotions are driven by my thoughts. I can think things like I will never get past this or I will always feel this way. I know some parents even have the thought I don’t want to get past this, which is usually because they equate the pain of grieving their child with remembering their child. They are afraid if they quit hurting so much, they will forget their child.

This is a perfect example of how your beliefs drive your thoughts. If you believe that staying in your pain will keep the memory of your child alive, then you will continue in that emotional state of despair. You will not be able to live a life of peace, hope, and fullness (which includes living a life of meaning and purpose again, not in spite of your child’s death, but because of his or her life).

I’m trying to get you to believe that maybe, just maybe, it is possible to get past this suffocating darkness—to think if others have, maybe I can too.

I remember exactly when I grabbed hold of that belief; it was a turning point for me. I was standing in the cemetery, crying at my daughter, Becca’s, grave. I stood there and looked around at all those other tombstones.

I knew many of them were for children or young adults because I had spent many hours walking around reading the tombstones, including the dates, and figuring out how old they were when they were buried. I thought about how every single one of those tombstones had a story of the people who were left behind, who had grieved and mourned. Every one of those tombstones represented someone’s pain and loss.

It suddenly hit me that all these people (including those who had buried a child) somehow managed to get through it. And somehow, I could too. That realization planted a tiny seed of hope that I didn’t have to stay in this dark place, which gave me what I needed to slowly start working my way out of the black pit.

Believing the truth is just as powerful as believing a lie.

People do what they do, based on their feelings, because of what they believe. Most people live mainly out of their feelings, and feelings do not always equal the truth. To put that a different way, just because I have feelings about something, no matter how strong, does not mean my feelings are necessarily based on the truth.

To change your behavior, which is driven by your emotions, you must know and understand the truth. It is truth that will set you free. However, it can be a messy and painful process.

When God created us, He did an amazing thing. One of the ways He made us in His image is by allowing us to think our own thoughts. He does not control our thoughts, even though He could. He allows us to think He is the evil one.

I remember times when my kids blamed me for something and were angry at me when I wasn’t the one who caused the pain, or my decision was based on something I could see that they could not. It’s the same way with God. He allows us to have our own thoughts, even if we believe a lie about Him. That is how much He loves us. He doesn’t force us to trust Him or love Him. He lets it come from our own choice and our own thoughts.

Don’t let the enemy take the greatest pain and darkness you have ever faced and turn it into a lie that God doesn’t love you, or that He has turned His back on you.

One of the best ways to get out of the enemy’s sticky web is to still your soul, quiet your own thoughts, and ask God to give you His thoughts. You need to be transformed—totally changed—by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2). Allow God’s thoughts to speak softly to you in the depths of your being to set you free from the turmoil. Sit quietly in His presence, letting His thoughts reprogram your thinking.

What you focus on is what you will grow. So, if you continue to focus on the pain and loss, it will grow until it is ready to consume you and overtake you. But if instead you think about, focus on, and give thanks for what or who you still have, that is what will begin to grow, and eventually it will bring you out of that deep dark place.

You may not think so right now, but you can get to the place where you celebrate your child’s life, instead of being stuck in the pain of their death. The question is: Where are you rooting and grounding your thoughts? If it can happen for me, and countless other pareavors who thought that was impossible, it can happen to you.

Do you need help with your thoughts? Are you looking for a connection that will give you hope? Let Laura send you her Weekly Word of Hope, delivered each Wednesday. (Your email address is safe with GPS Hope.)

 

Expressions of Hope is provided by Grieving Parents Sharing Hope (GPS Hope). The founders, Dave and Laura Diehl, travel full time in their Hope Mobile (a 38-foot motor home) to be more easily available for speaking and ministry requests, and bringing intimate weekend retreats to bereaved parents. Laura is also a singer/songwriter and the author of multiple award-winning books.

If you would like more information about bringing Dave and Laura to you for an event, please send an email to office@gpshope.org.

If you are interested in bringing GPS Hope to your area for a weekend retreat click here.

 

  • Check out the Grieving Parents Sharing Hope weekly podcast
  • Subscribe to Laura’s YouTube channel. 
  • If you are a bereaved parent, we encourage you to connect with us on our private Facebook page or our public Facebook page. 
  • If you are not a bereaved parent but want to support those who are, or want to follow us as we give hope to these precious parents, please connect with us at Friends of GPS Hope on Facebook.

Filed Under: Expressions of Hope Tagged With: bereaved parent support, child loss encouragement, Christian bereavement support, Christian grief resources, emotional healing after child death, faith and grief, GPS Hope, grief after child loss, grief and belief, grief hope resources, grief transformation, healing after child death, hope for grieving parents, Laura Diehl, mental healing in grief, overcoming grief, renewing your mind after loss, support for grieving moms, thoughts and emotions in grief, truth and grief

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