Get out of the Graveyard!

God had me in mind when I stumbled onto the message.

Pastor talked about getting stuck in our painful places of grief, regret, disappointment, hurt, rejection, and loss. He said God did not create us to get stuck. 

-Raise your hand if you’ve ever been a prisoner to pain. (My hand is up.) 

Let me see…

Yup, That’s what I figured. All of us have gone through unfair times. 

Matter of fact, some of you have experienced such excruciating betrayal you’ve been hung on the hook of despair. 

I’m so sorry about what’s happened to you. But…You don’t have to continue to hang out in the pain.

Neither do I. 

God’s got something better for us.

Here’s a handy checklist:

✅ God has something better for us. (Worth repeating.) 

✅ God didn’t create us to live in the graveyard of past hurts. 

✅ If you’re holding on to a pain tied to the past, let it go. 

✅ You don’t deserve to be a prisoner of pain.

✅ Life will NEVER be perfect. Stop wasting time distracted by your disappointments.

✅ Live the glorious life, not the grieving life.

✅ In spite of your circumstances, God gives blessings every day. 

✅ Focus on the  blessings. 

✅ Pass the blessings on.

✅ Get out of the graveyard.

✅ Get off the hook. 

✅ We are not victims. 

✅ We are victorious. 

Here’s a cool Bible reference about getting out of the Graveyard of Grief.

(The Type A Lady is about to give you a Bible Story paraphrase, so you better look it up for yourself to get the scoop 😜) :

1 Samuel 16: 1-4

If you’ve had any Sunday school lessons at all, you remember crying Hannah and her miracle baby. 

Enter: Samuel – God’s guy.

Hannah gave her baby Samuel to God. Her bouncing boy became a real big deal in God’s plans.

Samuel was a prophet, but even a prophet can be imperfect.

I don’t know about you, but all these imperfect people in the Bible give me hope.

This lets me know God can use this Type A cracked pot! Woohoo!

-Back to Samuel:

Samuel the prophet did everything God asked. He anointed Saul to become king.  

But, years later, when Saul turned away from God’s directions, Samuel had to take his blessing away from Saul. 

Needless to say,  taking back a blessing from the most powerful man in the country was not a hit. 

Samuel was sad. He had to go from big man on Saul’s list to enemy status fast. 

That’s uncomfortable.  Samuel hid out and grieved the whole situation.  

Sammy was stuck in the past. He sat around in the graveyard of grief. I can relate.

What did God say to Samuel? In a few words:

“How long will you mourn…?”

Sometimes I think God is asking us the same: 

“How long will you mourn?”

I know it’s not easy to emerge from past pain. It may hurt to try to move. After all, you can get really stiff from staying in one place too long.

But no one can claim victory without some pain and, yup, sacrifice.

Look what Jesus did for us. It is an honor to sacrifice for Him.

Folks. Jesus understands your pain.  He allowed Himself to feel every despicable rejection, disillusionment, betrayal, scorn in the book. 

Jesus and grief are well acquainted. 

But Jesus didn’t get stuck in the pain. The cross proves it. 

Jesus wants us to know

God has a plan beyond pain.

We may have to leave a piece of our heart in the grief graveyard, but God will replace the piece.

God doesn’t want us to park in the past when He’s giving us so many opportunities in the present.

Let’s get out of the graveyard and move from victim to victorious!