A Season of Grief and Healing, Stage 6: Finding Meaning in Hope (First Sunday in Advent)

By Kam Cook

Stephen Ministry Coordinator

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint (Isaiah 40:31).

Last week’s Care Connections addressed acceptance, the fifth stage of processing loss - something that has happened to us. Meaning is what we make happen as a result of that loss. The sixth stage of grief is Finding Meaning.

For the past 21 months, we have journeyed through a wilderness of darkness, the result of a pandemic that has threatened our health and financial security, political dissension that has threatened our democracy, and church dissension that has threatened the future of HHBC. As we enter the Season of Advent, we seek the gifts of light only the coming of the Christ Child can provide to lead us out of this darkness: Hope, Peace, Joy and Love.

We have recognized the defense and coping mechanisms we have utilized during the different stages of grief. However, the one thing that has remained constant has been hope. Glimpses of hope at each stage have sustained us through the days, weeks and months of our suffering.

Hope is trust in a good that is yet to come. Missionary Shane McNary told us in his sermon, on November 7, that hope is often the only thing that sustains the Roma people he and Dianne serve in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Refusing to give in to despair may be the greatest act of hope there is.

In grief, hope is the belief that healing can and will unfold. Like grief and love, grief and hope coexist, each deepening the experience of the other. Hope is a future-looking expectation felt while living in the present moment of pain and loss; it allows us to embrace expectations and a sense of future possibilities.

Just as endings are always preludes to new beginnings in God’s book, so, too, is hope a sign of new beginnings. Your goodbyes, your losses, your tears are all hopes and dreams for the future. You will never get over the loss, but grief does eventually resolve itself and let you live again. As intense pain subsides, memories bring more smiles than tears, and the future appears more hopeful than foreboding.

During the past few months, our congregation has been reaching out for support and comfort from others who are also struggling. Corporate grief expressed during Worship Services and Prayer Meetings has promoted healing and given us hope for a brighter future here at HHBC. During Advent, we seek the light of hope that only the expectation of the coming of the Christ Child can provide to lead us out of the darkness of despair in a world rife with dissension and conflict.

InTracks of a Fellow Struggler, John Claypool says: "While I cannot do your grieving for you or you for me, we can be with each other in honest and tender companionship." A trained Stephen Minister can provide companionship as you search for hope during your journey through the darkness. For more information on how Stephen Ministry can provide you with confidential, nonjudgmental one-to-one lay pastoral care, contact Referrals Coordinator Peggy Williams at (478) 719-3340 or by email.

Recognizing that God is the ultimate Cure Giver, the Mission of the Highland Hills Baptist Church Stephen Ministry is to serve God and bring Christ’s healing love to individuals who are experiencing life’s challenges through confidential, non-judgmental, one-on-one Christian care.