any help... struggling with death right now...

[SweetRain]

Lately there have been tragic events where either my friend or one of my friends

[kross]

Lately there have been tragic events where either my friend or one of my friends

[tah]

Nothing wrong with grieving... You are not alone.. we all grieve..

1Th 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

1Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

For we have that hope...

I am so sorry for all your losses and so understand your emotions..

Several times through my life I have felt as you do right now..

surrounded by death and fearful of losing one more person I love to it...

It takes a while to recover from our personal losses ..sometimes years but God will see you through your grief and restore your heart...

And they only way I can help my friends when they are grieving is to tell myself , when with them , to remember at this moment in time I am there for them and "it is not about me right now, it is about them" ..

when emotions of my own grief rise up I say it over and over until I am again able to console my friend..

I will grieve when it is my time to grieve or to be comforted..

I hope that makes sense to you...I really hope it helps you to be there for your friends...

Praying for the Holy Spirit in you to drive out the fears and replace them with faith in God as He knows all our days and all your friends days.. we all have appointed times and He knows when that is...and they truly are in His hands.. truly...

[wyguy]

Being a Christian, I am comforted by what God's word says on death. It says, for a believer, that death is no longer a fearful thing - that it has no sting. That "to be absent from the body, is to be present with the Lord." It also says that Jesus will be with us at the moment of our deaths, and that we will be carried into heaven by angels.

For the Christian, death is not a tragedy, but a triumph. As we are in the world, but not of it, death is our homecoming. Our welcome into our real home.

Allow me to share an e-mail I received from the ministry of Ray Comfort. It may help you.....

"Ray, are you afraid of dying?"

This is perhaps the shortest of questions I

[Trusting Jesus]

It's always easy to think that death happens to other people who we don't know. When it hits close to home it is shocking, but remember that it is all part of living in this fallen world. It is hard to know what to say to someone who is grieving and often times just a hug helps. The lady who has a husband with alzheimers may need someone to run an errand now an then or just send a card encouraging her.

When a loved one dies those left begin to question where they will spend eternity. If your friends are Christians encourage them with Scripture. If they aren't, introduce them to Jesus./ You will find that the older you get the closer death will come to you...grandparents, aunts, even parents. Prepare yourself with a strong foundation built on Christ. Death will hurt, but there is comfort in knowing a loved one is with Christ.

<>< ><>

Nathele

[He giveth more grace]

If I understand part of your question, you have difficulty being in the presence of the grieving and you don't know how to act or what to say. You don't have to say a word, just a touch on the shoulder a hug that is all that is needed. If the departed is a young person there is nothing you can say, no magic word that is going to make a different. Just you being there and your quietness speaks volumes.