When Truth Feels Like a Moving Target

An unpublished supplemental read from Chapter 2 of Dear Truthseeker

Grief and Hope

I heard a statement recently that said, “Grief and hope can coexist.” At the time I heard it, that statement felt more like a question to me than a truth I could easily embrace.

Can grief and hope really coexist?

You may be thinking the same thing. If so, you are not alone. Let’s break it down.

Like me, you may be in a state of mind where this statement feels like a moving target. For me, the reason was that I felt uneasy fully embracing hope while I was still processing what I was grieving at the time. I knew I had hope in God, but grief has a way of occupying space in your heart and mind. Sometimes, when you are in the middle of loss, hope can feel distant—or even difficult to reconcile with what you are feeling.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 is a familiar passage in the Bible that speaks to how we grieve. It puts both grief and hope into their proper context. Grief is the emotional response to loss. So, I dare say that we can extend the principle of grieving in this verse beyond the loss of human life. What if we applied the same truth to other types of loss we experience?

• A relationship.

• A job.

• Your health.

• A place you once called home.

• A dream.

• A season of life.

Loss can take many forms, and grief can accompany each one. So now, let’s process it. When you acknowledge what you are grieving and invite God into the process, His Truth becomes an anchor for your soul. You don’t have to feel like you are chasing a moving target.

What are you grieving today? Ask God to show you His Truth. And as you process your grief, allow yourself to find hope in Him. Because grief and hope can coexist. And when Truth is your anchor, you don’t have to chase it—He holds you.

With love and purpose,

Grace Abbey