Death is unfortunately an obvious fact of life; something we cannot control. It stirs within us many emotions- anger, sorrow, pain or grief. As a Christian however, we can look past this pain and come to celebrate the life a person who has passed on, knowing that they will live once again, with Christ through the power of the resurrection.
Here we can see the basic stages of grief and loss that most people face when dealing with the loss of a loved one; though it may alter from person to person:
1. Denial- This is the first stage of grief and loss, where we reject reality and the fact that our loved one really has passed away. It is a very natural phase in life, and is an action of defence. This stage does last for a while, depending on one’s situation.
2. Anger- Anger can occur in many ways: anger at our self, others, the world or even God. We tend to ask questions like, “Why did you let this happen, God?”, “What could I have done to stop this?”, “Why did he have to go?” etc.
3. Bargaining- Some people bargain to find a final solution to reality. Most people do this with God (the God that person worshiped when they were living). They seek to negotiate a compromise. E.g. “If you bring him back, I will promise to be a better person”.
4. Depression- It's a sort of acceptance with emotions as a side effect. It is natural to feel sad and regretful, fearful, uncertain etc. It shows that the person is slowly beginning to accept reality...