Most of us would admit that when our emotions get the best of us, we say things we don’t mean. Other times, we say exactly what we mean but we don’t choose our words carefully and end up implying something that just isn’t true. It seems that this offense is more common after a death, which I can attest to from my own experience.
Grief can be physically and mentally exhausting. Everyone should be ready to offer grace to someone who is grieving, particularly when they say unkind things or are not truthful. Grief can cause a hole to appear in our filters. Grief can also distort our perception of reality and cause us to do or say things we would never normally. As believers, we should consider the impression our words will leave on those who don’t know the Lord, or on those who are new in their faith and are growing in their understanding of God.
If you’ve ever attended a visitation and taken the time to scan the memorial gifts, you’ve likely seen someone’s sincere thoughts etched on a plaque, an afghan, or garden stone. These words show the love and loss felt for the deceased. These poetic sentiments are beautiful, and they may even stay with us the rest of the time. But we still need…
