Grief

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. ” (Isaiah 61:1-3 NIV)

At the time that I took this photo, I was having a hard day with grief — grief of transitions and the emotional lows of moving to a new culture. I have been dealing with my grief lately through seeking out beauty in my own neighborhood, through the many art galleries around my neighborhood, and by looking physically up. As I was walking around and talking with the Lord about my woes, I noticed how much beauty was growing in the midst of a graveyard. I saw that the trees were beginning to blossom and saw the gravestone; it sparked a song in my head from UPPERROOM that says, “I put off all my heaviness and I put on a garment of praise.” I realized that the Lord was telling me that He wants to give me beauty in the midst of my heartache and joy in the midst of my mourning. When things in my life die and seasons change, there is beauty and new life coming because He is the God of restoration.

Ivy Restemayer

For Reflection

• Where are you experiencing death and/or new life? Grief or joy? 

• What physical reminders has God put around you that speak to His presence and work in your life?