Moving Past Denial
You may have heard at some point that there are identified stages to grief. I have recently been reviewing stages defined by Kubler Ross known as denial, anger, depression, bargaining and acceptance. These were designed to assist with the process of bereavement, but have also been found to be helpful in dealing with other situations involving loss such as divorce and life changes.
This weekend I had a small revelation when thinking about the first stage, denial. I started thinking about what it is like to be in denial…
- Numb
- Moving through the motions
- Making decisions out of the wrong place
- Disavowing any need for feeling
I began to realize that it is a place where we are blocking God. He meets us in our various emotions including sadness and grief. When we choose to remain numb, avoiding our emotional and relational natures, we are not sharing and connecting with him.
Denial is a lonely place. A place where we can remain stuck and isolated. It is a brick wall, a mask to who you are inside. Luckily our Father in heaven knows us no matter the stage. The only problem is we are not relating with him in our place of denial.
1 Peter 5:10 says, And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace who has called you into his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
Surrender your emotions.
Begin the process and do not to prolong the restoration, confirmation, strengthening and establishment of your purpose for his glory.
~Author: Stacy Farris, MS, LPCA, NCC with permission to post on Miller Counseling Services, PC
