Community Corner
Pastor: 4 Steps for Dealing with Grief
We can heal from life's painful tragedies, says Pastor Mike Maiolo.
In light of recent tragic deaths, including that of a Saddleback College student and a Mission Viejo cyclist, here are a few thoughts about grief from Pastor Mike Maiolo, who heads Mission Viejo Christian Church.
Recently in our country we have experienced grief of some magnitude with the loss of 19 brave firefighters who died fighting the fires in Arizona, or the tragic plane crash last week in San Francisco.
Most of us have experienced loss in some form or another. There can be loss of health, loss of a loved one, loss of job, financial hardship or loss of a friendship. Our losses can soon lead to grief and if it is not dealt with can lead to further feelings of despair. The key to working through grief is to “walk through it and with courage deal with it.” Here are a few helps that I have found beneficial:
Most of us have experienced loss in some form or another. There can be loss of health, loss of a loved one, loss of job, financial hardship or loss of a friendship. Our losses can soon lead to grief and if it is not dealt with can lead to further feelings of despair. The key to working through grief is to “walk through it and with courage deal with it.” Here are a few helps that I have found beneficial:
- Have some “Garden friends” that we can talk to about how we are really feeling.
- Connect with some resources about the different stages of grief (i.e. books, workshops, support groups).
- Don't ignore the pain – get help.
- Come to a place of knowing that it is OK to cry and release what we are feeling.
What is helpful to know is that we are all in the same boat together and God is always there for us as we reach out to him.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here
