This week we will look at the word ‘grief’ and see if it is possible to be joyful while grieving.

grief >noun
1. Intense sorrow, especially caused by someone’s death
2. Informal trouble or annoyance
3. To suffer disappointment, misfortune, or other trouble; fail
4. Annoying or playful criticism

-PHRASES come to grief have an accident; meet with disaster. Good grief! An exclamation of surprise or alarm.
-ORIGIN Old French, from grever ‘to burden’

grieve >verb
1. Suffer grief
2. Cause great distress

grievance >noun
1. A real or imagined cause for complaint

Examples of GRIEF in sentence format
∙ He has been unable to recover from his grief at his son's death.
∙ She was overcome with grief.
∙ the joys and griefs of our lives
∙ I've had enough grief for one day.
∙ Trying to fix the computer isn't worth the grief.
∙ He's taken a lot of grief from his friends.
∙ His friends have been giving him a lot of grief.


DAY ONE

Journal today about a time when someone you knew passed away. Was the person a family member, friend or just an acquaintance? Did you attend a funeral? What did grief look like to you during this time?

DAY TWO

Let’s continue today with writing about grief and how you grieved or did not grieve over the person who passed away. How would you describe your grieving process?

DAY THREE

Journal today about your emotions when you remember the person who passed away. Are you still grieving today? Write your definition of grief.

DAY FOUR

Journal today about the word grievance. Write about a situation that grieved you. What was the situation? Was it real or imagined? What steps did you take?

DAY FIVE

Journal today about a time when you grieved someone by your words or actions. What did you do to cause them to grieve? Did you say the words or do the action on purpose? What was the outcome?

DAY SIX

Journal today about the good that comes from grief. When viewed through a microscope tears are the shape of a cross. God promises that He is storing all our tears in a bottle. What does this mean and why would He store them? God also promises to believers that He will wipe away all our tears and that there will be a time when we will have no sorrow. Do you believe He is storing your tears? Do you believe He can turn your sorrow into joy?

DAY SEVEN

Take a long leisurely walk today. As you walk look around and consider the miracle that grief is part of life that refines love in our life.