helping those who grieve

Here is a wonderful series by John Piper's daughter-in-law Molly about the loss of baby Felicity, about when grief hits the hardest, and about how to help those who are grieving.

As someone who feels like I never know quite what to say around those who grieve, I found this very helpful.

And here is the honest, raw, but inspiring story of a mother's sorrow over the loss of twins Nicholas and Olivia, her overwhelming and at times angry grief, and her ongoing trust in the goodness of God.Her blog is compelling reading from last to first, although it will make you cry:

I need to tell you something. I am afraid of my grief. It lurks deep within me behind a door that I don't know what to do with.

You see, I have no idea what's behind that door. My imagination whispers to me that it must be a portal to a hell that I would never want to explore. Common sense tells me that I need to march right on in there and deal with it, head-on. Popular culture is an enabler and tells me to own the door and carry it around with me as a constant reminder of the tragedy that is a part of my life.

I've walked with the Father closely enough to know that I can dismiss these voices. He takes me by the hand and tells me that I don't have to go in there without Him.