Tuesday's Trust In "The New Reality" versus "The New Normal" ~Where Do We Child-Loss Grievers Go?!~

Tuesday's Trust

In

"The New Reality" versus "The New Normal"

~Where Do We Child-Loss Grievers Go?!~

~by Tommy and Angie Prince

{We also used the above graphic on August 25th, 2009 in Tommy's blog post: “NO ROOM IN THE INN” FOR THE EMOTIONALLY WOUNDED.}

What is it that civilians are longing for us to return "to" since we have been thrown so deeply into our Child-Loss Grief? What they don't seem to realize is, as Tommy said tonight,

"That stuff's not important anymore!"

Where does the brokenhearted that possesses this new reality of living-with-the-loss-of-our-child go???

We no longer "fit" into this world. It does not understand us. It wants us to be like them. Never! It will never happen. So they just deny our reality and pass us by. So then, where do we go?

We are left alone, untended, un-nurtured, but even worse, misunderstood, maligned, and despised because we cannot "get on with it."

You can't go to church because only people who are "happy-in-God," and "happy-in-life" can go to church. ~ Would this mean King David would not be accepted into church? Would this mean all the sorrowing prophets would not be accepted into church? Even worse, would this mean Jesus Himself would not be embraced in church, and would even be despised and rejected?

Yes.

He was.

Jesus was despised and rejected. Even by the very people-of-God to whom God had sent Him!

The prophet Isaiah predicted it (read Isaiah 53). G. F. Handel in his very inspired "The Messiah" proclaims it. (How many of us in former years gratefully used to be a part of a church choral group that would sing this amazing series of oratorios and cantatas as part of the season's wonderful Christmas music?)

I grew up learning this amazing work of art and singing it with our church choir when I was in college, and then singing it with two different adult choirs eleven years ago and eight years ago. Two years ago, I asked Tommy for the entire arrangement so that I could sing it at home, I love it so much. These past two days I have sung the entire Messiah, along with our former church's c.d.s we made when we sang it in 2000.

In his "The Messiah," Handel, in describing Jesus, quotes from Isaiah 53 in proclaiming

"He was despised and rejected.

He was wounded for our transgressions.

He was bruised for our iniquities.

The chastisement of our peace was upon Him."

No. 23:

"He was despised,

despised and rejected,

rejected of men,

a man of sorrows,

a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief,

a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief,

(and so on…)"

No. 24 Chorus:

"Surely, surely, He hath borne our griefs,

and carried our sorrows.

Surely, surely, He hath borne our griefs,

and carried our sorrows.

He was wounded for our transgressions.

He was bruised,

He was bruised for our iniquities.

The chastisement,

the chastisement of our peace was

upon Him.

No. 25 Chorus:

"AND WITH HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED"

proclaimed and repeated over and over, for a total of 28 times!

And the New Testament says we will be treated just like Jesus. Is it any wonder we do not feel at home in church even though many of us were born and raised there, and now are living our lives clinging to God? The corrupted leaders of the church in Jesus' day not only despised and rejected Jesus though He was "King of Kings, and Lord of Lords." They killed Him!

So why are we surprised that we no longer feel at home there? Neither did Jesus. He was an outcast though He was the Son of God.

And so are we ~ outcasts. Outcasts suffering grief and sorrow, often misunderstood and shunned by the world, and shamefully even by those in the church who are uncomfortable with our sorrow and tears.

May this sweet Christmas season remind us ~ we are in good company as the Humble Lord who was born in a manger, the Suffering Servant who was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, lives in our camp and comes to us to comfort us.

For Handel's "The Messiah" then adds the culmination of what His sorrow and grief and chastisement ultimately accomplishes for us…

AND WITH HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED…

~But Handel proclaims this result of the culmination of Christ's agonizing pain for our sakes throughout one song… twenty-eight (28) times!

Now, looking forward to that ultimate healing, to be found in Christ's propitiatory suffering for us, calls for some singing and much Thanksgiving!

...And while we await such healing, may we bask in the comforting arms of our Loving Lord who loved us enough to come onto this earth at Christmas time just about 2,000 years ago!

May our Heavenly Father who gave up His only Son for us, and His Son, our Gentle Shepherd who gave up His own life for us, walk with us through our suffering, our sorrow, and our grief, being our Companion for the rest of our years while we are still on this earth that is not our true home...