Welcome to Session 4
Our focus is our
All-Knowing Father God.
Lesson 4 intro video – under construction
To Learn—
For the Soul:
Sometimes when we are in the midst of grief it is difficult to believe that God is aware of our pain. But He is. He is aware of every aspect of your day. He has numbered the hairs on your head.
Matthew 6:18 “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
1 John 3:30 “For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.”
God knows.
God knit you together in your mother’s womb. (Ps. 139:13)
He saw your unformed body. (Ps. 139:16)
God knows you intimately.
He knows your pain. He knows your struggle. Is there comfort in that realization? Think of God as the Father who watched his Son tortured and murdered. As the Father who had the power to stop his Son’s pain, but who let it continue – TO SPARE YOU.
God understands loss and pain.
God knows. He is the I AM. He shows up in the fiery furnace. He shuts the lions’ mouths to protect His own. He is the I AM.
Listen as Mercy Me sings “You Are I Am” here.
Our prayer this session is to acknowledge and praise Him because He knows.
As we pray “You know,” we invite Him to draw close. We climb into our Father’s lap and rest our heads on His shoulder.
“You know!” is our prayer for this session.
For the Heart: Scripture to memorize as you work through this session-
Matthew 6:18 “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
For the Body:
Food. People react to loss differently. Some may lose their appetite completely. Others may seek comfort in food, find themselves overeating or grazing when they aren’t even hungry. If you fall into either of these groups, this is the time to focus on moderation. Fewer skipped meals or extra snacks. Less of the comfort foods; more of the fresh fruits and vegetables. Keep up your water intake, too.
For the Mind:
Midpoint Warning: I’ve taught many, many 8-12 session courses over the years and I’ve noticed a pattern: sessions 4, 5 & 6 seem to be targeted for attack by the enemy.
By the midpoint, most participants have found their groove.
They are making progress. God is at work.
The enemy hates this. When he senses you are getting stronger, he considers you a threat. He will try almost anything to derail the gains you are making. And one of his best weapons is the element of surprise.
So, we head into this midpoint with our eyes wide open. We claim the promise that God is with us.
Read Daniel 3 here. We are not alone in the fire. God is our “4th man.” The Lion of Judah can devour some enemy who runs around “like a roaring lion seeking whom he can devour.” Know also that my prayer warriors and I are praying with additional urgency for you during this time.
If you find yourself confronted with unusual distractions that are keeping you from your studies here, please stop and pray. And remember, “God knows.”
It is possible that life issues may have gotten in the way of you even getting started. I want to challenge you to begin. Timing will never be perfect, but you were drawn to this course for some reason. I believe it was a divine appointment that God arranged. My prayer team and I are praying for you.
Linking Objects/Keepsakes: There are, no doubt, items around you that remind you of what you have lost. It’s quite common to hold onto personal items that have memories attached. These items can help remember the person and honor their life. They may help in your healing. Never feel guilty for finding importance in these things. Don’t rush to purge personal items. As long as you find comfort and healing in having them around and they do not bring you pain.
Schedules: Time to mourn/Time for pleasure: Loss by its very nature creates a chaos of busy-ness. Perhaps you need to consider scheduling time each day to allow yourself to mourn. (Remember that mourning is the external expression of your grief.) It’s easy to get caught up in all the details that accompany the changes associated with loss. Have you taken ten minutes today to be aware of your feelings? Stop now and turn to your Stages of Grief star. Write today’s date near the stage you feel represents where you are today.
As you schedule your designated mourning time, be sure to also set aside time for something that you know has brought you pleasure before. Yes. Without guilt, make time for something you enjoy: walking, reading, baking, drawing. Go to a movie. Visit a museum. Watch a ballgame. Pet the dog. You are deserving of these few moments of pleasure.
To Create— (This course is designed for Art Journaling, but you should use whatever media you prefer.)
(The following assignments are optional. Complete them or not in whatever order fits your needs. This is your journey. Do not let this course add stress to it.)
It’s a Heart Thing – (5/12)
Connected Hearts: Create one large heart in the middle of page 5/12. Then add 3-4 smaller hearts around it. You may want to use your tissue paper for the hearts.
-The larger heart is you. Decorate it in a way that represents who you are/how you are feeling today.
-In the smaller hearts: (Remember to use Privacy techniques as listed under the Privacy tab as needed.)
-Write 1 thing you are glad that God knows about you.
-Write 1 thing you are surprised that God could know about you.
-Write 1 thing you may wish God didn’t know about you.
-Write 1 other thing God knows. Perhaps something God knows about your loss.
Connect all the hearts together to represent that God knows all about you.
It’s an Art Thing:
“You know.” Illustrate our prayer for the session.
It’s a Writing Thing:
Vitamins In the back of your journal, write today’s date. Each day, “Take your vitamins” and add 1 new thing you are thankful for. Just 1 a day for now.
God knows. God knows all about you, and He sent His Son to save you despite any failings you may have. What does that mean to you? Write Him a thank you card.
It’s a Feeling Thing (Stages of Grief):
A Clearer Understanding.
One of the fastest ways to best understand something is to consider its opposite. Take some time during this session and explore several of the stages that you seem to spend most of your time in. Use a thesaurus or website like Thesaurus.com to search. See the synonyms, but scroll down for the antonyms, too.
For the less pleasant stages (like Guilt), these antonyms become our goal: (this is a partial list)
happiness honor pride respect satisfaction advantage
benefit blessing good kindness obedience strength
success virtue innocence
To Extend—
Dig: Search these additional scriptures to dig deeper –
- Acts 15:8
- Romans 8:27
- 2 Timothy 2:19
Select one (or more) of the following scriptures or quotes to illustrate or letter in your journal.
Scripture:
- 1 Sam. 2:3 -“…for the LORD is a God who knows…”
- 2 Tim. 2:19 – Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his.”
- Psalm 34:18 – The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
- Psalm 147:3 – God heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.
Quotes:
- When you are willing to feel it, you can heal it.
- Sometimes memories sneak out of my eyes and roll down my cheeks.
- Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
- There will be many chapters in your life. Don’t get lost in the one you’re in now.
- For additional quotes, check my Pinterest board “Good Grief – God Knows” here.
Don’t Forget:
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- My prayer team and I are praying for you daily.
One last thing…
If you don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus, I invite you to meet Him. For more information, click here.
Disclaimer: While I am a certified school counselor, I do not offer this course as a replacement for one-on-one personal therapy. This is an art journaling course designed to approach the grief process through Biblical scripture. If you feel your grief is beyond your control, please call 911 or speak to a health professional.