J S Park

As a 73-year-old faith-driven Christian woman, I've found that when a loved one of a Christian dies, we have our own unique way of mourning, unlike the rest of the world, since we possess an everlasting hope of what is to come that they don't possess. According to Scripture, we're reminded in 1 THESSALONIANS 4:13 that since we're in Christ, death isn't the end and that grieving is only a passing situation. As Christians, we realize that while our mourning isn't a pleasant situation, it's still a part of our existence; for with the relationship we have with the Lord, we know what we're told in REVELATION 7:17 [NKJV]:

"For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Mourning is not supposed to be perpetual, and we're reminded of this in ECCLESIASTES 3:1-8 [NKJV]:

[1] To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:
[2] A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;
[3] A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up;
[4] A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance;
[5] A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
[6] A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away;
[7] A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;
[8] A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.

One of the worst things anyone can experience is the death of a loved one, and when it occurs, a state of mourning ensues since someone we value has been taken from us, creating a state of grieving deeply. While the act of mourning might be painful, I've learned in my journey of trying to be a good Christian woman that it's capable of bringing our hearts into line with that of the heart of our Lord, for according to MATTHEW 5:4 [NKJV]: "Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted."

Having worked in a hospital environment for just over 33 years in the city hospitals of New York City in various nonmedical positions, I have witnessed the broad spectrum of emotions that abound. Through all of these emotional outbursts that the patient's relatives manifest, the comforting component that is always present is that belonging to the various chaplains of the hospital. One of my tasks for several years working in a hospital environment was to find out the bill would be paid after the patient got admitted, which involved being attuned to the emotional state of the patient's relatives, which could be quite daunting at times.

The author of this book, J.S. Park, is one such chaplain who has experienced the emotionally fraught task of his position by being a deeply empathetic listener and grief catcher who has held the joy and, unfortunately, the pain and questions of thousands of patients. From my own life experience and being a Christian blogger with a small online ministry, I can understand how the suppression of grief and the mourning process only add an overpowering additional component to the pain individuals already have to endure.

Chaplain Park has done a magnificent job of communicating to his readers by telling them it is all right to grief without any required permission, as others might have told them throughout their lives, and providing them with alternatives to assist them in surviving their loss at their own rate of comfort, which includes the encouragement of their grief that can aid in the healing of their loss. Being faith-driven, I know that maintaining one's faith in times of grief requires additional empathy and the instilling of hope, which Chaplain Park has been sure to include in the pages of his enlightening and supportive endeavor to improve the lives of those who are in need of mourning a loved; which is why as a former voracious reviewer of nonfiction Christian books, I am happy to have given this book 5 STARS.… (més)