Resolutions by Kurt Olson
Each year millions of Americans make New Year’s Resolutions.
Most are forgotten before January is over.
However, some actually use this day as a marker to take a different
direction in their life. These people
have one characteristic that is different from the masses of people who forget
their resolutions; they are incredibly tired of something in their lives. Something has hit them so hard they finally resolve
to do what only they can do and take action.
When we experience deep loss, basic life decisions are difficult
enough, let alone contemplating a new “resolution.” But, I would like to suggest that is exactly
what you might need to do. What is this
you ask? It is choosing to devote the time
to confront your loss with renewed passion.
I discovered that when I tried to ignore my grief and pain, it got much worse
and depression began to settle in. However, as I confronted my loss and emotions head
on, I realized I could actually keep going.
The pain did not go fully away, but as each day passed my life began to ease
a bit and gradually became more manageable.
How does one “confront” their loss? Here are some suggestions that worked for me.
1.
Keep a pad of paper by your night stand. When
you can’t go to sleep, jot down what’s keeping you awake. The same thing
applies if you wake up in the middle of the night. Write down what you are thinking about. What I want you to do next is say a quick
prayer that you will be able handle this in the morning when you have gotten some
rest. Then try to sleep.
2.
Journal your thoughts every day. The pad of
paper described above is for quick notes about why you are not sleeping. Those involved action types of ideas such as did
I do this or that, did I call someone? A
journal is different because it is where you write your feelings. It is writing about what is going on in your
head that maybe no one else is aware of. In the early days I wrote in my journal about
all my random thoughts and emotions. Later
on after months of writing, my approach changed. I would read my Bible first,
sit in silence waiting for the Lord to arrange my thoughts, and then write in
my journal. A journal is also a good way
for you to see how far you have come. You
can read about where you were a month or more ago and you may observe forward progress and healing. (Note: If you are not experiencing any
progress, consider that you may need professional help. Contact the church and ask for a Care
Pastor. They can help you sort through
next steps and provide a referral to a qualified therapist.)
3.
Dive deep into the material that you receive
from Grief Support. Read the lesson,
read and listen in solitude to the Bible verses. Write your thoughts about the question of the
week that is in the handout.
4.
When the workshop is in session, connect with
your fellow group members in meaningful ways during group time. Your grief
journey is not meant to be done alone. Take
a risk and share something that you wrote on your note pad or in your journal
from points 1-3 above. Share something
that impacted you from the lesson. If
someone in group shared something about their journey that impacted you, take a
risk and tell them how it helped you.
The first three steps are the work
that you need to do to help figure out where you have been and where you are in
your journey. This is the hard work in
the trenches that doesn’t get a lot of attention but is so helpful to integrating
your loss and connecting (or reconnecting) with people in a more meaningful way. That’s correct; these are activities that will
make your connections with others more significant. If you talk about weather and sports in your
group, you will not be encouraged or experience truth in a way that might help you
release troubled thoughts that might be plaguing you. In a very similar way, if I share something off
the top of my head it will be very hit or miss on its impact on your life. But if I take time to really figure out an
issue in my life, it is much more likely to be meaningful and impact you in a
positive direction. I still remember
some conversations from my first group that changed my life; they were able to put
words to my feelings that I couldn’t name at the time. What a relief that was for me!
When you put all four of the steps
into play, you cannot help but change the trajectory of your grief journey for
the better, for yourself and for those around you. But it is up to you. Is it time to make a “resolution”?
If you are viewing this through the
email feed, please know you can find additional support and encouragement at
our home site of www.griefslinky.blogspot.com 
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