On the morning of February 12th, 2020 I woke up around 5:30 am because my niece had a bad dream.
I took her into the room with my sister and then went back into the bed and started praying because I felt unsettled...
I started praying for all my family and friends, as usual, and when I said my Dad's name I stopped for a second and then said it a few more times. And then this blue light overcame me, and I can't even fully explain it, but I felt this sense of peace and a voice said to me "Your Daddy is in Heaven." Listen to the full story here.
After that, I went back to sleep and had peace knowing that my Dad was in heaven (which was something that I had been worried about.)
At 8am that morning, my sister came in the room hysterically crying and I already knew why. They had found his body at 7 am. He passed away in his sleep.
My Dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer in May of 2019 and he fought a good fight, but God decided it was time for him to go to heaven the morning of February 12th.
Since then, I have gone through a whirlwind of emotions. From hysterically crying, being angry, feeling numb, feeling at peace, etc. I have literally felt every emotion possible.
Coping with the loss of a loved one is never easy... There is no right or wrong way to cope, everyone copes and grieves differently.
If you are or have experienced the loss of a loved one, first off, I am truly sorry and I know exactly what you are going through, and I hope this helps you like it's helped me....
I know that there is no way I would be able to cope without the strength that God has given me and without implementing these 5 things.
The 5 Things That I Have Been Implementing to Help me Cope with My Loss are:
1. Expressing Gratitude Towards God and Being Thankful
- Every morning I try and thank God for waking me up and everything he's done.
- I try and do this throughout the day, but I at least do it every morning.
2. Pray with Intention
- I pray with the intention of gaining strength and having comfort and peace knowing that God is right here with me helping me along the way
- There have been days where it has been very difficult for me to even muster up the words to say, so I just pray "God please help me."
- God knows exactly what you are thinking and feeling, so when you can't muster up the words, just sitting there and acknowledging God's presence or saying "Lord please help me" will help you gain that strength, comfort, and peace.
3. Saying Faith-Based Affirmations or Bible verses
Here are some that I say:
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." - Philippians 4:13
"The Lord gives me strength."
"If the Lord is with me, who could be against me?"
"I am brave with the Lord by my side."
"The Lord gives me peace in times where I feel unsettled."
- You can write these down and say them when you need to, or you can make your own
4. Being Close to Family
- Just the comfort of having my loved ones close, sharing happy memories, and supporting each other through this tough time, has really helped me
5. Thinking of Good Memories
-My Dad wouldn't want us to sit around and be sad all the time, he would want us to remember the fun and good times we had with him
- I went through all the pics on my phone and made an album of pics and videos of him, and when I feel sad or lost I look at those and it helps me remember the funny and good times.
If you have been going through loss or grief, try implementing these 5 things.
I hope they help you just like they've helped me.
I love you guys so much!
Never forget to choose faith over fear.
-Lorena Camille (Faith Fuels My Fire)
p.s. If you'd rather listen to Faith-based, business, mindset, and mental health tips, then check out my podcast. There I will share my personal experiences, stories I've never told before, and bring you along the hot mess life of mine. New episodes every week.
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