I am quitting the grief process. That’s it. I quit. I don’t like it. It’s not working for me. No good.

I read a lot about it. I can see it’s been well-studied. There are steps to take and things to do and feelings to feel. But Grief and I don’t get along. Grief weighs me down and fills me with sadness.

Before I go any further, let me interject here that I don’t despise or in any way think any less of anyone else who finds comfort in following through the grief process. I say, if it brings you comfort, and helps you navigate through the awful pain, go for it! Lord knows the anguish of losing someone is too great to not have help of some kind.

But for me, grief isn’t good.

In Isaiah 53:4 I see that Jesus bore my griefs and sorrows, and as a dear friend of mine put it, “He did it completely and perfectly!” Oh, what a relief it is! Thank you, Jesus!

Instead, I’ve got a new focal point: HOPE. Oh, yes. Hope. That determined expectation of seeing my sweet daughter again, and very soon. SOON and very soon. That makes me smile so big!

Let me be perfectly clear: this doesn’t mean I won’t have moments of missing her. I will miss her until I see her again. I will think about her and look at pictures of her and remember her on the spur of the moment, and tears may come to my eyes. There is an Emily-shaped hole in my heart right now, but I am filling that hole with HOPE. Not “I hope I will see her again,” because I KNOW I will see her again. I know Jesus was her Lord, as He is mine. Hope is expecting it to happen, and looking forward to it eagerly! What a hope!