My Journey Through Grieving

By Walter Joe Wall

My Journey Through Grieving presents a variety of heartfelt and deeply personal stories by people who have traveled the road of grieving--a journey that we all must take at some point in our lifetime. Whether one grieves a little or a lot is greatly determined by the nature and closeness of the relationship that one shares with another person, and having someone to share the grief struggle with is often very helpful. Tragically, when one loses their closest companion in life, they also lose the one person most equipped to help them through life's hardships, and this only serves to multiply their pain.

Reaching out to others can be difficult; but having someone to talk to and share memories with, following a loss, may prove to be the most beneficial thing of all. Sometimes the overwhelming nature of grief is such a heavy burden that professional counseling should be considered. Other times, a person might work through the process with the assistance of family and friends. Either way, the process will require time and personal commitment before the fog of grief will begin to dissipate, and true healing can be realized.

How one lives, what they believe, along with the amount of faith they have in themselves, God, and humanity can play a large role in moving forward along grief's journey. Thankfully, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit will always be there to provide the guidance needed.

May this book point you in a direction that will help heal your broken heart.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 17, 2023
• ISBN: 9798889434955

Book preview

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My Journey Through Grieving

Walter Joe Wall Jr.

ISBN 979-8-88943-494-8 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88943-495-5 (digital)

Copyright © 2023 by Walter Joe Wall Jr.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

All biblical citations were taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

My Journey through the Grieving Process for My Wife, Elizabeth, and Dear Friend Edith Eastridge

Others' Stories of Grief and Loss

Tom Pugh: Coping with the loss of Charlotte, my wife

Joan Lockner: Remembering Wayne, my husband

Patsy Gross: Navigating the grief for Danny, my husband

Betty Nelson: Reflections on Paul, my husband

Paul Carlyle: Finding healing after Elizabeth, my wife

James Wall: Honoring my mom and dad

Bobby Wilson: Coping with the loss of JoAnn, my wife

Daniel Day: Remembering my mother

Carol Jean Gouge: Embracing life after Larry, my husband

Ricky D. Collins: Cherishing the memory of Ralph, my grandfather

Stella Collins: Finding strength after Ralph, my husband

Michelle Bevilacqua: Remembrance of my father and aunt

Change through Grief

About the Author

Oh, God!

How do I go through this for my wife, my husband, my child, and my friend?

Where do I go for help?

My grieving journey

Friend, please help me.

Help me, Lord Jesus.

How do I get through this for my wife, my husband, my child, and my friend?

Where do I go?

My Grieving Journey

Help me, my friend.

Help me, Lord Jesus.

How do I get through this for my wife, my husband, my child, and my friend?

How do I get through this?

One day at a time.

Where do I go for help?

The Lord Jesus Christ.

What will help me the most?

Trust in the Lord.

I feel so alone with my grief.

God says he will never leave us or forsake us.

Preface

I lost my wife, Elizabeth, to cancer in 2002. She was the one true love of my life. At that time, having officiated hundreds of funerals during my nearly fifty years of ministry, I thought I understood what grief was like for those who had lost a loved one. I had consoled and comforted many families in their time of loss. I had witnessed their pain and struggle. I really thought I knew what they were going through. Boy, was I wrong! What followed for me was a long and winding way down the path of grief.

On that dreary day in February 2002, I learned what one can only truly comprehend from experiencing the devastating loss of a loved one firsthand. No one can fully understand the sense of emptiness and remorse that comes from losing a loved one until they had to deal with it directly. This realization is the reason that I wrote this book.

Grief is invariably painful and can be quite difficult to overcome. Yet for some people, it can be overwhelming, like an all-encompassing cloud of sorry hovering over their daily life. Having someone to talk to about the experience can often be very helpful. Learning about the different ways that others have moved from emotional devastation toward peace and acceptance can also be useful. Stories like that are what make up the heart of this book.

Ever since I was a young child, I have had a passion for caring and have been drawn to offer comfort and solace to anyone experiencing difficulty in their life. I believe, hope, and pray that My Journey Through Grieving will provide some guidance and comfort to all who have to endure the hardship of losing a loved one and will help them to find peace and renewal.

Acknowledgments

When you feel inspired by the Holy Spirit to express your feelings and your experience of going through the grieving process, you welcome any advice and help you can receive. I want to thank all that have encouraged, supported, shared their experience, and helped in any way toward the publication of this book.

I thank Joan Lockner for proof reading, typing, and giving me good advice.

I give a special thank you to the ones who shared their life experiences through the grieving of their loved ones.

I want to thank my daughter, Robin, and her husband, Gary Bagnall, for their help and support.

Introduction

Living life is not always easy. I have found some large and small bumps along the road of life. Some bumps are small, and others are very large and are very hard to deal with. We must either go over or go under, around them or through them, if we expect to continue a happy and peaceful life.

One fact of life is that we all must face the death of someone we love. I lost a little puppy that I loved very much, and I shed a few tears and grieved for a short time until I got another puppy. I still remember and miss my first puppy. The loss of personal life is not always that easy to overcome. How close you were to that person that left your companionship determines how you grieve. The person may have been your husband or wife, your son or daughter, or a very close friend. Never try to grieve alone because the road through grieving is not always an easy road to