We welcome you to Solace: Soul + Grief . I'm glad you're here . I'm Candee Lucas , a Jesuit-trained Catholic chaplain and spiritual director , and I've been involved with a bereavement ministry since 2009 . We know that loss can make profound changes in people's lives .
We understand how difficult it is to travel this path of grief and how important and monumental the loss of a loved one can be . So we created this podcast to help you walk with God as you grieve your losses , understand what's happening in your heart and soul as you grieve , to be available in the best way we can to accompany you on this journey .
You're always welcome in this circle of healing , love and support . Today , my Bible fell open to Jeremiah in a part where God is angry because he has not been obeyed . I didn't feel like dealing with an angry God today , so I went to a place that I knew would be more amenable Hosea 11 . That I go back to often because it so reminds me of God's love .
But in Verse 11 . After he has warned us of faltering on the path , his heart softens completely and he says how can I give you up ? How would I ever surrender you ? How can I make you far from me . I have had a change of heart . All my tenderness is stirred . I will not act on my wrath .
I will not turn to destroy you , for I am God , not man , the Holy One in your midst . I will not come in fury . And so again we are reminded of God's love , even in the middle of his fury towards us or disappointment in us or disappointment in the choices we make with our lives , the choices we make with the treasure of our lives we have been given .
And though we strive from day to day to be worthy of all of those gifts , we acknowledge we fall short . That acknowledgement reminds us that our grief may be imperfect , our mourning insufficient . The havoc wreaked on our lives in the wake of the loss of a loved one is not easily borne .
A loved one is not easily born or easily tamed , nor is it completely understood . Yes , we acknowledge we are cast from our moorings and we may feel out to sea in our grief and be unable to even see the shore some days .
But God sits with us , helping us row , keeping us on course , even when our eyes are so filled with tears that we cannot manage to see his face clearly .
So I want to remember this day with gratitude , with gratitude for the undying love , the undying support , the rock that is our anchor , the reminder of the love that is created in the world , created by us; created by our loved ones , created by all the peoples and families and communities , all the religions , all the people of the world , those suffering , those
warring , those in power , those who are powerless . Suffering comes and healing love comes thereafter . That concludes another episode . A new one drops every Friday . Please join us on Spotify , Amazon Music or Apple . Thank you for joining us . Spiritual direction is always available . See my contact email in the show notes .
This is Candee Lucas , your host , chaplain and spiritual director . Go with God . Namaste , vaya con Dios .