Laughing doesn't mean you forgot. Feeling okay for a minute doesn't mean you've left them behind. Moving forward is not the same as moving on. You can laugh and still miss them. Both can be true on the same day.
What the passage says
Paul wrote this:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
Look at the words "all our troubles." That isn't only the biggest losses. It includes a death, a divorce, a move, a friendship that ended, a pet you buried in the backyard. You don't have to decide if your loss is big enough. God is called the God of all comfort.
Grief doesn't have a finish line. You might still be sad tomorrow, and that's okay. Grief often changes shape over time. The sharp, constant pain can slowly become something you carry more gently.
Paul also says comfort doesn't stop with you. What you've received can one day help you understand a friend who is hurting. Your pain isn't wasted.
Near the end of the Bible there's a promise that God "will wipe away every tear from their eyes," and that there will be "no more death or mourning or crying or pain." That day isn't here yet. Until it comes, God is with you in every tear.
One thing to try today
Remembering is part of carrying it. Pick one way to do it:
- Write down a favorite story so you don't lose it.
- Put a photo somewhere you'll see it.
- Keep something that belonged to them.
- Plan to do something they loved on a day that matters.
Just one. Small is fine.
Questions to think about
- When you laughed and then felt guilty, what did the guilt say? Does it sound like God's comfort, or something else?
- What is one thing about them you never want to forget?
This was Day 5 of the study When Someone Is Gone, and you can find the full five days there, along with more short videos on our TikTok.
