Rest in Peace

Last Wednesday at church was dedicated to mental health. We could choose from classes about grief, Young Adult issues, family trauma, etc. You already know I strolled straight into grief class. It is the elephant in the room for me. It takes up so much room. It’s bigger than me. It’s the hot-button issue in my life.

I was late because I got caught by the train close to my house. So, I missed the opportunity to speak the name of the person or persons that I was grieving. Honestly, that is probably for the best for the class. My list isn’t short and who knows if I would have started wailing. (See how the Lord works things out…anyways back to my story.) I sat in the back and put my listening ears on.

The information was good. Really good. And necessary for me. But one thing stood out the most. Do you want to know what it was? If you are still reading by this point, I am sure that you want me to spit out. She talked about how we always tell our loved ones to rest in peace. Then she said, that if you really think about it, they are already resting in peace. The people left behind…the ones grieving…are really the people that need to rest in peace.

We need to rest in peace that only God can provide. I don’t know how many nights of sleep I have missed in the last year and a half. I can’t count the number of times my anxiety has gone through the roof. I get triggered by so many things. Special days or even just another day. A missed phone call or receiving a call from a family member who doesn’t typically call me. A smell. A picture. A song. And that’s not peace.

Did I walk away from the class completely healed and tap dancing? No, but it changed my perspective. It helped center me and give me something positive to focus on. Prayer is important. So is deep breathing and regular exercise. So is actively maintaining regular communication with others. You know…all the things that don’t feel like rest. But when I regularly engage in these things, I do feel more peace.

My grief is big, but my God is bigger. I’m not talking about what I have heard. I’m talking about what I’m walking out right now. I’m talking about making the conscious choice everyday to trust God with all the broken pieces. I will let ya’ll know when I get to rest in that peace. #wepreach