Bereavement Support Group

I went back to church February of 2008, when we thought my dad was going to die (one of countless times.) My parents stopped going to church when I was 13, after some falling out with many of the clergy and staff of the church we attended. I never thought I would go back. I didn't think I needed it. I thought I was ok with God. But I never understood that part of me stayed underdeveloped; my faith remained a 13 year old girl. I know how weird that sounds. But thw first time a saw my counselor, in the fall of 2007, she told me that. Suddenly, I knew she was right. She was not trying to get me to go back, she said a lot of things, but it was something that she observed. It planted the seed and got me thinking about going back to church.

My dad became a practicing Catholic again after his near-death illness in the hospital that February. He had no idea I'd been wanting to return to the church. As soon as he told me, I made a call to a preist we liked and started going again.

No religion is perfect. Some Catholic churches are very conservative and strict on their viewpoints, but as I started to attend a local church group I realized that many of my best personal qualities comes from my family's faith. I find that it completes who I am, and I can't imagine going through the events of last year without my faith and the support of the wonderful people at my parish.

I understand organized religion isn't for everyone, and I respect that. It just happens to be who I am. I can't change my heritage any more than I can chnage what hospital I was born in, or who my parents are, or that I'm from Michigan.

Thanks for rekindling that conversation, Nevayda. I'm glad your faith helps you as well.

Post edited by: Peace4Rach, at: 05/25/2009 06:11 PM

I have attended church, go at almost every week. I was brought up a Catholic. I can't say I agree with everything of the religion but basic principles of love, giving, and hoping for a Heaven and God. I have struggled to believe full heartedly and have prayed to know more that His kindgom exists. Most of me believes as, I have seen a universal order of things in the world. Peace and help when it is really needed. Signs of a life thereafter. I still have doubts sometimes but continue to pray, attend church and listen to the messages brought to me when I am there. I'm glad the church is not of a strict conservative tradition. I went to one with a priest who talked nothing other than repentence of sins week after week. That was not what I needed to here every week. So I left and found another. I have also dabled in a spiritual church a little, that includes all faiths and found that also peaceful and helpful. My grief has brought me more of the spiritual side within me and I've read alot and continue to search and grow as a spiritual being.

So glad to have read this tonight even though the post is old. I am having a very hard time praying for other people I know who have cancer. I think why pray, if Gods will is going to happen anyways? Does God see how many people are praying and then base miracles of healing on this? I doubt it. My sister had church congregations praying from Michigan to Florida and she was on everyones prayer lists. They prayed for physical healing, maybe God is hard of hearing and thought they were all praying for spiritual healing.

Totally understandable to feel the way you do. It would be alot easier if we understood God's plan for all of us. I guess that's where faith comes in but it's not easy when you are going through such a difficult time.

Hugs..

Good evening. We seem to have to go thru our doubts and ask questions after we lose someone, and I believe that God will provide the answers in such a personal way, that you will know it's from God. I began to imagine, during my prayers for others, by seeing each one go into an elevator, the door shuts, and I'm not on the elevator with them, but do push the button for them to go up. They will go up to the very top, where God is..

That's how I was able to leave the answers in God's hands. It helped me tremendously to be able to imagine that, and to help me "let go, and let God."

We may not know, while on this earth, how or why God answers prayer but by your prayers, someone was there at a specific time to meet a need for the one you prayed for.

Or things fell into place that may not have, without prayer. Or inspiration came to your loved one thru your prayer. Prayer is powerful. Hugs -N

Post edited by: Nevayda, at: 06/19/2012 07:57 PM