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Loss and Recovery

by Tina

God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.

C. S. Lewis

I’m a huge C.S. Lewis fan. He had such a gift for putting brilliantly truthfilled insights into words. C.S. Lewis was a man who understood great grief. Ater the loss of his wife, Joy, he wrestled with his thoughts and with God over his loss (as most of us do), yet he held onto his faith in God.

While listening to videos on depression it was mentioned that as Christians we don’t grieve as others grieve. This is straight from Scripture. In context it means that when we lose someone who knew Jesus we have hope that we will be reunited with them again in heaven. That loss is only temporary. We still grieve, but not the same as those who don’t have that hope.

There’s another way we deal with loss differently: We renew our strength (or recover and revive) by finding our peace and joy in Jesus.

The Apostle Paul is another man who understood loss. In the book of Philippians Paul describes all that he was before He belonged to Christ Jesus. These things were quite important to him. When he gained Jesus everything changed. Thus, he experienced significant loss.

Though Paul writes about these things becoming nothing when He gained Christ (paling in comparison) it isn’t likely that he had an immediate dramatic turn around. Not many of us do. Not many of us can let go or move forward so easily or quickly.

After his conversion, Paul went away for THREE years. Most believe that he studied with Jesus in preparation for His ministry during this time. What nobody ever seemed to mention (until I watched a video on depression by Dr. Neil T. Anderson) is that getting to know Jesus was the greatest component of Paul’s recovery and why Paul could say that everything paled in comparison to knowing Him.

It makes sense. How can you say how amazing someone is without becoming a close personal friend? It’s pretty wonderful that we can get to know God in such an intimate way.

Sometimes I do fail to stop and simply smell the roses-–the most prized of which is Jesus Himself. I can also forget that Every Thorn Has Its Rose.

When we’re feeling pressed down by life, like flowers between the pages of a book, we can renew our strength as Paul did: by learning to fix our eyes on Jesus.  Remember that recovery can be a long journey. So have patience with yourself and others. ❤

You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 16:11

“But the people who trust the Lord will become strong again They will rise up as an eagle in the sky; they will run and not need rest; they will walk and not become tired.

Isaiah 40:31 (New Century)

Recovery Begins

I talk, I talk too much
I never open up
To what You need to say
My words get in the way

I search for stillness
But worry kills it
I need to clear my head
I’m tired, I need to rest

It all comes down to this
The quiet in the end
I listen for Your voice
Recovery begins

The times I hear You most
Are when You bring me close
I’ll follow as You guide
While darkness turns to light

It all comes down to this
The quiet in the end
I listen for Your voice
Recovery begins

Whisper to me, whisper to me
Whisper to me, whisper to me….

Fireflight

(Photo credit goes to Pixabay.com user bboellinger.)

23 thoughts on “Loss and Recovery”

  1. Thanks a lot for sharing about loss and recovery,we all go through it so we feel the pain and then we long to have the strength available in the Lord.Take care.🌹🙏

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  2. Faith can have such an impact on loss and recovery. But it can take time. Everyone is different and with loss we undertake our own unique path. Some with faith and some without. I questioned my faith. That process is still ongoing several years later. So this post is very apt and reassuring. Thank you.

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  4. Tina, a great post! I agree that fixing our eyes on Jesus gives us strength, and also hope, and direction. He does turn our darkness into light! Cyberhugs!💖🌟🌺✨

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  7. That is a beautiful picture of Paul knowing Jesus so well, that everything else paled in comparison. To only have eyes for Jesus, and everything else in this life seems so dull in comparison. I am so glad we have Jesus. But I fear we don’t always tap into our source, as much as we could. I pray that we learn to cling to Him every moment of every day… By the way, have you heard Lauren Daigle’s new song “Hold On To Me?” It reminds me of something you said in a previous post about Jesus holding onto us. Here’s a link: https://youtu.be/R1EwKwayzLM

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  10. After reading your latest post, I felt a nudge to read this one. Having recently lost my stepfather, your discussion reminds (just as C. S. Lewis wrote) me that my journey of loss will find eventual recovery in God’s Word. I pray for this with my mother every day.

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