When you have experienced a loss, the whole world can feel different. Even the new year can feel strange. While others are celebrating, making resolutions, and looking forward with hope, you may be trying to absorb all that has happened. In the wake of your loss, you also may be experiencing uncertainty about the future.
Looking forward can be painful, especially when the path is unclear. But in these times, hope is a powerful companion, helping us to see what is still possible. According to grief expert Alan Wolfelt, “Hope is a belief in a good that is yet to be.”
What good thing might be just around the bend? Taking a moment each morning to think about what you hope for—for yourself, for loved ones, and for the world—can be a powerful way to reach toward this goodness.
Hope gives us the courage to step forward in faith. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take that first step.”
As we enter this new year, with all its aches and uncertainties, may you be steadied by Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
Optage Hospice Chaplain Jenny Schroedel facilitates grief groups across PHS sites and in the larger community. Jenny is also an author, most recently of Naming The Child: Hope-filled Reflections on Miscarriage, Stillbirth and Infant Death.
If you are interested in joining a group, contact Optage Hospice or call 651-746-8200. Optage is the home and community services division of Presbyterian Homes & Services.