Thursday, March 21, 2019

Grief and a Polished Rock


Recently I was cleaning out my purse and I reached in and grabbed what looked like a Milk Dud. I couldn't figure out where it had come from, lol. When I actually picked it up, I realized it was a polished rock.  Then I remembered where I had gotten it, it brought a wistful smile across my face.

Last year when a dear friend lost her husband I joined her in attending a Grief Share group, at the end of one of the sessions we were handed a polished rock.

This simple little rock was to remind us that grief is like a rock. When you pick up a rock from the ground it is rough, and craggy, and it can have sharp edges. However, when you put that rock in a rock tumbler it begins to smooth out, until it is so smooth, it almost seems soft, at least to me. Grief is like that, when it is new, it is sharp, raw and painful. Over time, it gradually becomes smoother, the bumps are fewer and the edges have become smooth and not sharp anymore.

Over time the grief process allows us to reflect back on the memories of the one we loved and see the beauty of the life they led, the times we spent with them, and all the little nuances that made them... well, them.

The timing of finding the rock in my purse, and recalling the lesson behind it was quite timely, I was having one of my 'bumpy' moments, the Lord knew just what I needed at that moment, I needed a rock.

As I think about this lesson, and hold this rock, I also reflect on another rock, it is the Rock that I anchor my life to, Jesus.

2 Samuel 22:2 And he said: “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;

Psalms 18:46 The LORD lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let the God of my salvation be exalted

Take the lesson of the polished rock, remember those rough places will smooth over time, they will become something beautiful.

Blessings!
Mary