Good Grief?

You may remember the exclamation “Good grief!”, being used by Charlie Brown in the famous comic strip Peanuts.

But apparently this sentiment can be found further back in time to the early 1900s in literature.

Although, the origin goes back far earlier then we could imagine & we discover has a completely different meaning.

Let’s grab our cuppa’s, get comfy & we’ll go on a wee journey of discovery together.

Sudden & unexpected events 

The modern day term, “Good grief!”, is often used as an exclamation for something out of the ordinary that surprises, shocks or may exasperate us.

This term has had me pondering of late.

My thoughts were;

Is there such a thing as good grief?

And was it once observed for this saying to come into being?

While reflecting upon this topic, a discussion I had with an old friend many years ago came to mind.

We had first met in primary school & have been friends since that time.

She was sharing her experience in her professional role as a Funeral Director.

She shared that she was often the first contact for the family for the funeral & buriel arrangements for their loved One.

And she had observed two distinct forms of grief.

Those who grieve with hope

&

those who grieve without hope.

As a Clinical Counselor, I mainly came into a family’s life much further down the road in their journey of grief, often because of complicated grief so I found this informative.

But from her observations a hope in grief was evident in those very first days after losing a loved One.

She described that the family members who had faith & believed that they would see their loved One’s again coped far better then the family members who didn’t have that same hope.

Grief comes to us all 

Having been a Clinical Counselor, now retired, I have a Clinical understanding of Grief & it’s processes.

Having walked with many individuals & families to facilitate healing of their loss & grief.

But more then this, I have personal experience through the deaths of my daughter, Candy & my son, Benjamin who died within a year of each other. My story shared Here.

And later through the journey of grief once again with the death of my late husband to brain cancer.

And recently having lost two dear loved One’s.

I can attest that indeed there is a good in grief that comes from the hope that we will see those again, who lived in that very same hope.

A hope that is not only promised but is real, as I have experienced it, shared Here.

Good in Grief

You see the hope that I have is in Jesus Christ, my Saviour.

The good in grief comes from His sacrifice & death on the cross for you & me.

The good in grief was that He rose from death, that could not hold Him, rising to life eternal.

The good in grief is that He is the living Son of God who has restored our relationship with our Heavenly Father.

For all those who accept & believe in His work on the cross, His resurrection & ascension, grief has hope.

And He has given us the promise that we will live with Him for eternity – the life that awaits believers after death!

For Jesus said;

“Don’t let your heart’s be troubled. You believe, trust and rely on God; believe, trust and rely also in Me.

In My Father’s house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you; for I am going away to prepare a place for you.

And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also.”

John 14: 1-3

Do you have this hope my friend?

No? Then you may want to join me Here.

Until next time,

Jennifer

You’re most welcome to join me in The Reading Room

Or 

In Prayer

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© 2022 Jennifer M. Ross, teawithjennifer.blog All Rights Reserved. Photo by Rick Miller on Pexels.com 

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