Grief and Hope In the Waiting

By Kareena Holloway, Fellowship Bible Church, Rogers, Celebrate Recovery Women's Encourager Coach

I woke up feeling sad today. I’m a generally upbeat person, an 

encourager by nature, but today, I woke up sad. Covid-19 and this 

quarantine has changed everyone’s lives. I can’t see my friends in 

person, I can’t hug others, I can’t circle up with others and pray in 

person with them. My overall schedule in ministry has changed, 

so today I woke up feeling sad!  I am so grateful to God that 

through Celebrate Recovery, I learned this neat way to process my

feelings, called doing a H.E.A.R.T Check, and it was definitely 

time for me to do one again! I’d like to share my answers with you

now. I asked myself the following.

Was I:

·HURTING?

          Yes, I was hurting emotionally because I miss everyone so much.

·EXHAUSTED?

          No, not really feeling exhausted

·ANGRY?

          Can I be angry at Covid-19? YES, I can!

· RESENTFUL?

          I am resentful of Covid-19..(I think I’m getting to the root of it here.)

· TENSE?

         Around week one, I felt tense, overwhelmed, worried, and anxious, but by week two I had let go of that. Also, I reminded myself of the “Holloway family motto”, “It is what it is, and we do the best we can with what God gives us.”

After going through this process and reaching out to my sponsor and some key people in my life, and reading my Bible to see what God says about it, I started to feel better!  I was reminded of God’s goodness and steadfast love through every storm that I go through.
In Psalm 3:1-8, where David fled from Absalom (his son who led what appeared to be a successful rebellion against him), he cried out to The Lord and The Lord listened to him:
O LORD, how my foes have increased!
How many rise up against me!
2Many say of me,
“God will not deliver him.”
Selah
3But You, O LORD, are a shield around me,
my glory, and the One who lifts my head.
4To the LORD I cry aloud,
and He answers me from His holy mountain.
Selah
5I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.
6I will not fear the myriads
set against me on every side.
7Arise, O LORD!
Save me, O my God!
Strike all my enemies on the jaw;
break the teeth of the wicked.
8Salvation belongs to the LORD;
may Your blessing be on Your people.

In reading that, I felt encouraged and hopeful again that even though this is a different kind of battle, it is still a battle and I can confidently say that: 
1.    He will grow me through this. 
2.   He will encourage me through this. 
3.   He will hold me fast through this! 
4.   He will carry US through this! 
5.   My God is still on my side!

I pray that through my sharing, that you too, may be encouraged to be turning to God’s Word, reaching out to your sponsor/key people in your life, using the tools (such as the H.E.A.R.T Check) and tuning in to encouraging video’s from Celebrate Recovery, such as this one HERE and so many more.  They will all help to keep your thinking on more positive things!  In closing, I wanted to share a scripture that I love, from Philippians 4:8:
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 

I pray that you feel God's comforting presence with you, friend.  Click HERE to listen to "He Will Hold Me Fast" by Shane and Shane.

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