God is Enough
Shirley Parker
The holiday season tends to slip up on us, catching us before we are ready. This year the holidays will be especially difficult for many. All around us, friends and/or family members will face an empty chair or chairs as they anticipate their Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings.
When I look way back in my memories, I can still feel the desperation and numbness. It was late in September when my daddy passed and my husband of twenty-eight years passed the next week. As fall progressed and everyone began preparing for Thanksgiving and Christmas, I had no desire to participate. I did have thankful thoughts of the many blessings of family, friends, and my church. I wanted to celebrate Jesus’ birth and have a worshipful spirit, but I was so completely brokenhearted. I could not find joy in these normally meaningful celebrations.
During this season of overwhelming grief, I trudged through life – hour by hour, day after day. I listened to Christian radio and filled my head with scripture and praise. I read James 1 regularly. Prayer was and is a very important part of my life. I truly learned during my grief journey that God is Enough. I prayed and He gave me the wisdom to make important decisions. He filled my every need.
Six years later, God carried me through sorrow again when my twenty-nine-year-old son passed suddenly with cardiac arrest. He wrapped His arms around me and held me together in 2008 when my second husband (of just seven months) passed with cancer.
“I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.
He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
Psalm 18:1-2
My grief journey over the years has given me the experience and mercy to encourage and love on others who are suffering loss and sorrow. I finally said “Yes” to God and began leading the GriefShare ministry here at The Point. Gene joined me in this support group and for five years now we have been eager to help others turn to God and His Word for their comfort and peace. We both know that God is Enough, and we see His blessings in our lives every single day.
“May He give you what your heart desires and fulfill your whole purpose.”
Psalm 20:4
GriefShare meets on Tuesdays at 6:00 pm in the Youth Building at Point Church. On Friday, November 19th we will hold our Surviving the Holidays meeting (same time and place as our regular meetings). This special GriefShare session stands alone and focuses on help for the holidays. If you know someone who has lost a loved one, please encourage them to attend. Those who come will find a welcoming group of people who truly understand. Gene and I are always willing to visit with those who are struggling with grief. We cannot change what has happened, but we can be there so others do not walk alone.
If you would like more information about GriefShare, please contact The Point Church at 850.492.1545 or email us here.
