“Listen to my prayer, O God. Do not ignore my cry for help! . . . I am overwhelmed by my troubles.”
PSALM 55:1-2

Stages of Grief: Denial Ps 55

We live in a culture that tends to celebrate heroes who face hardship and loss without emotion, overcoming difficulties and showing no weakness. It’s the James Bond approach to life. But no one is immune to suffering. Yes, those who appear to “power through” and overcome hardship with ease seem impressive, but if they do not take time to fully grieve what they have lost, they are in danger of becoming trapped in their pain. Grieving losses is a necessary part of growth.

After losing a friend to cancer and then losing her job, one woman decided she needed some career counseling to determine her next step. In the first session, she was surprised to hear the counselor say, “You’ve had a lot of loss in your life.”

The therapist’s simple statement opened her eyes to some of the pain she had been ignoring and denying—loss of a parent, loss of dreams of having children, loss of health, loss of a supportive church family, and more. In each instance of loss, instead of taking time to grieve, this woman had reminded herself of the things in her life that were good and had thought about others who had suffered much more than she had. These responses, positive in themselves, had led her to deny her own pain and avoid the healing and growth that comes through grief.

Taking time to acknowledge and admit her pain instead of denying it was the first step toward healing and growing. We all need to admit our pain and suffering and also acknowledge that we have hurt in our lives. As David said, “Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you” (55:22). Watch for the comfort and help that God brings. Take note of it, and thank him for it.