You are listening to a meditation to help you process loss.
As you listen,
Let yourself feel what you need to feel.
Make yourself comfortable.
Take a deep breath in and a long breath out.
This meditation isn't about finding an answer or solution to your loss.
It's about acknowledging your pain today,
Knowing tomorrow may be different.
If you're grieving,
You might be wondering,
Why is this happening to me?
How long will this pain last?
Or even,
Is there a right way to grieve?
This meditation is based on an ancient philosophical text that tells a story of great suffering.
In the book of Job,
The central character loses almost everything.
His belongings,
His wealth,
His family and his health.
Things that once brought security,
Joy and love.
We'll trace his storyline as a tool to help you express,
Acknowledge and process your loss.
As you listen,
Notice which parts of his story resonate with you.
As we begin,
Take a deep breath in and a long breath out.
In the immediate aftermath of Job's loss,
His friends join him for seven days and nights without saying a word because,
As the story tells us,
They saw how much he was suffering.
It can be natural to want to keep busy or to rush your healing,
But sometimes you need to stop and be still.
In the stillness,
Name your loss.
You might be grieving a loved one,
A family member,
Friend or pet.
Perhaps a relationship has ended or you've had difficult news.
You might be trying to let go of hopes and dreams that haven't yet materialised.
Acknowledge your loss and its impact on your life.
Sometimes,
In our pain,
We need time to ourselves.
At other times,
We need the comfort and support of others.
Acknowledge those who are there to help you.
Who do you need right now?
Take a deep breath in and a long breath out.
Job says,
If my troubles and griefs were weighed on scales,
They would weigh more than the sands of the sea.
Does your loss feel heavy?
Notice any places you feel it in your body.
You might feel drained physically,
Emotionally or spiritually.
Although painful,
Your emotions have a place and purpose.
They reflect the importance of your loss.
Take a deep breath in and a long breath out.
Sometimes,
Our emotions can be delayed.
Feeling shocked or numb doesn't mean you aren't grieving properly.
It can be a way of softening the impact.
Give yourself time to be as you are.
Take a deep breath in and a long breath out.
It can be easy to wonder why this has happened to you.
You might think your situation would be better if you'd acted differently.
Or that if you do things differently now,
What you've lost will come back to you.
As the story unfolds,
Job's friend diminishes his pain,
Saying,
One day all your troubles will fade from your memory like floods that are past and remembered no more.
You might feel that people don't really understand what you're going through.
Maybe they expect you to move on,
Or blame you for what's happened.
Those closest to us don't always know how to handle our grief.
Gently acknowledge the pain this causes.
Open your palms upwards as you seek to accept this.
Take a deep breath in and a long breath out.
Maybe you think someone's responsible for your loss,
Or it's karma,
The universe,
Or God.
Directing his anger at God,
Job says,
He sends storms to batter and bruise me without any reason at all.
You might want to voice your anger like Job.
Clench your fists as you express your pain,
Frustration,
Disappointment.
Hold nothing back.
As you release your hands,
Imagine your thoughts rising like a prayer.
Take a deep breath in and a long breath out.
As the story unfolds,
Another character offers insight into Job's suffering.
He suggests that God teaches people through suffering,
And uses distress to open their eyes.
How do you feel about this?
You might think it's too simplistic,
That there isn't always a higher presence or purpose behind pain.
Or maybe this idea resonates with you that,
Although painful,
Our experiences can offer fresh perspectives on our lives.
Are there any ways in which your loss has brought clarity?
It might have given you wisdom,
Or a deep sense of empathy for those around you.
However dark things seem right now,
What glimmers of light can you see?
This friend also offers a message of hope for the future.
Speaking of God,
He tells Job,
He is wooing you from the jaws of distress,
To a spacious place free from restriction,
To the comfort of your table laden with choice food.
Right now,
Your loss might feel too raw,
Deep,
Recent.
But perhaps you're able to hold on to the hope that your grief will change over time,
That there can be brighter days ahead.
Take a deep breath in,
And a long breath out.
The climax of Job's story is an encounter between him and God.
Giving voice to God,
The story says that we won't always understand our pain.
Using natural imagery,
It describes how our world is both beautiful and painful,
Ordered and chaotic.
How do you find beauty amid the pain?
How do you find light amid the darkness?
Ultimately,
Job doesn't learn why he suffers,
But he finds a way to hold his grief alongside his belief and trust in a higher loving God.
A loving being.
For Job,
This is the God of the Bible.
The book of Psalms says he is close to the broken hearted,
And saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Notice how you feel about this.
Perhaps you don't know why you've experienced loss,
But you're hoping to move to a place of acceptance.
Are you able to look ahead to a new day?
Take a deep breath in,
And a long breath out.
For thousands of years,
People have asked questions like Job's,
Seeking to understand the role of God in their pain.
Do you have an idea of God or a higher presence?
Other biblical writers share a message that God isn't absent in our pain.
Writing of a man called Jesus,
Who the Bible portrays as God in human form,
They show that he also experienced deep suffering.
The God of the Bible knows what it is to suffer.
What could it mean to know that a higher presence is with you in your pain?
One who can fully understand and empathize with you.
One who wants to bring comfort.
Take a deep breath in,
And a long breath out.
If you want to,
Welcome this comfort from the God of the Bible.
As you prepare for this meditation to end,
Remember that your feelings have a place and a purpose.
Go into your day knowing there's a God who wants to comfort you.
And that tomorrow you may feel different.
Has this meditation helped you today?
If you've experienced loss,
Why not share a word of encouragement for others in the comments?
Do you know someone who might appreciate this meditation right now?
If so,
Why not share it with them?
