When the word grief is heard it is usually associated with the loss of a loved one. However, grief can be tied to other loss as well, such as the loss of a title (example: starter, captain, or a position on the team), the loss of a relationship (example: boyfriend/girlfriend, friendships), or the loss of identity (example: what you were known for is stripped away in some capacity).

There is a mourning accompanying each of these examples that is easy to overlook but crucial to comprehend.

Let yourself identify the areas of loss in your life. Ignoring them might seem like an easier option in the moment but will only cause those unaddressed emotions to compound in the future. Allow yourself permission for an adequate grieving process.

It is okay to feel emotions, and it is okay for those emotions to be ones of sadness, sorrow and mourning, as even Jesus wept (John 11:35). Feeling and processing emotions means we are in tune with ourselves and have a healthy understanding of what affects us and how we, in turn, affect our surroundings.

Remember through it all that God promises not to leave your side as Isaiah 41:10 says, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

God cares about us to the extent that He knows the number of hairs on our heads (Matthew 10:30), portraying that we can absolutely trust Him to care about our pain and sorrow.

God is in the details as much as He is in the big picture. He is in the little things that don’t seem to matter; the “coincidences” and “happenstances,” and He is the Alpha and Omega; the Beginning and the End.

What a comfort to know that the Lord bears with us in our grief. We may not be able to see past the darkness of sorrow in the moment but He is paving a way. Even when our only words are anguished cries, the Spirit intercedes on our behalf and we are heard (Romans 8:26).

Whatever loss we face in this life — whatever title we lose, relationship we mourn, identity we drop — we will never lose being a son or daughter of Christ. We will never have to grieve our relationship with God.