Debbra Bronstad’s Biography:
Since 1999 Debbra Bronstad, MS, has been helping people receive healing for the traumatic and painful areas of their lives. Today as a Christian Marriage & Family Therapist, Grief Recovery Specialist and Life Coach Debbra helps people around the world find freedom from the root causes of their personal and relationship challenges so they can move forward in greater joy and peace to fulfill their destiny. Debbra lives with her husband in Arroyo Grande, California. Sign up for her newsletter for tips for healing the pain of grief at http://www.Stages-of-Grief-Recovery.com.
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Loss can feel like an interruption to your destiny. Yet, virtually all successful people can look back on seasons of heartache, failure and grief in their history. Through these hardships they were molded into the people they are today. The path that leads to heartache often also positions us for blessing. Many of the people in the Bible had to endure grief and loss before reaching their destiny where God’s favor and blessing were poured out in their lives to bless others. Grief and loss were an integral part of the transformation process that positioned them to step into their destiny.
Grief is the natural or normal response to the loss of connection with another person or the loss of something we depended on to be there for us. We can have grief symptoms related to:
- the death of a loved one
- divorce or relationship break-up
- the loss of a pet
- leaving a church or community
- the loss of a job
- moving or foreclosure on a home
- giving up an addictive substance
- the loss of a child through abortion or miscarriage
- the loss of trust or faith due to betrayal and/or abuse
We often feel more vulnerable and weak when we grieve. It is hard to imagine that good can come out of tragic circumstances. Let’s look at some others whose losses positioned them for greatness.
Think of Joseph (Genesis 37), who ended up in Egypt, the place where God’s favor would be revealed to save a nation from starvation. To get to Egypt Joseph lost his home and family, being rejected by his brothers. Later he suffered in prison accused of a crime he did not commit. But there in prison, he was positioned to one day stand before Pharaoh to interpret his dream.
Daniel had to be taken captive, led away from his destroyed homeland as a slave (Daniel 1:3-6), in order to one day be positioned before King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon to interpret his troubling dreams.
Do you know the story of Esther? Esther was raised by her cousin, Mordecai, because her father and mother died when she was young (Esther 2:7). She had to hide and deny her cultural heritage as she rose to become Queen of Persia before her destiny was revealed to save her people, the Jews, from destruction.
Of course, there is also Job, who grieved the loss of all his sons and daughters, his livelihood and his health. He recorded for us a revelation of the sovereignty of God to help us better understand the nature of our trials. In the end he was blessed more than before (Job 42:10-17).
In our lives, just as in each of these examples, there are losses and grief in our journey through a fallen world. When these things happen to you…and we know that they will…how will you deal with the pain so that you can be healed?
How will you let this pain be a stepping stone for transformation as you prepare for your destiny?
In our culture today there are myths about grief such as “time heals all wounds” or that if I just “keep busy and ignore the pain it will go away.” Unfortunately, this rarely works. The unresolved pain eventually manifests as stress, anger, anxiety, depression, physical ailments, or addictions.
The true path to healing is to face the pain honestly in the presence of the Lord Jesus, acknowledge how much it hurts and invite Him to carry that burden for you as you release it to Him. You may need the help of a prayer partner or Christian counselor to do this effectively. Another person can help you recognize where you need to forgive and release past hurts, regrets and disappointments. Part of this process is understanding your loss or trauma from God’s perspective. Ask God to help you see your experience through His eyes, so you can know the Truth that sets you free to be all He intends you to be. You can let your losses prepare you and position you for your destiny.
