What to say when there are no words ...

[Silentreader]

Praying for you and your wife and family.

When Jonathan Edwards died as a result of a smallpox vaccination, Sarah, his wife, wrote to their daughter, “What shall I say? A holy and good God has covered us with a dark cloud.” Notice the honesty in that. There’s no superficial triumphalism. But her husband was not taken out by chance; it was the overruling sovereignty of God that determined the right time to bring Jonathan home to his eternal reward. And so Sarah continued, “But my God lives; and he has my heart … We are all given to God: and there I am, and love to be.”

Amid grief, we will never be able to speak words like these from natural gratitude, which cannot help us in loss. Such reflection can only flow from gracious gratitude. You may be facing difficult or even heartbreaking circumstances at the moment; and if you are not, then that day will come, for this is a fallen world. But in those moments, you can cling to God’s love and choose to trust God’s goodness, expressed most clearly at the cross. Then, even in the darkest hours, you will know the joy of His presence and always have cause to give thanks to Him. There is strength, dignity, and worship in being able to say, “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21).

[seinetsodumm]

So sorry to hear about your loss Robert. Praying for God’s comforting hand to uphold you and your family through this difficult time!

[donnyto989]

You are right. Sometimes there are no words. A hug, sitting in silence, or just showing up says more than any sentence could.

When people are grieving, they do not need you to fix it. They just need to not be alone. Being there without talking is enough.

The urge to say something is for you, not for them. Let go of that. Just sit with them. That is the comfort.