It may not seem possible, BUT, there is HOPE! There is Life beyond the death of a spouse/child/parent/relative/friend.

A widow said to me, "You know, that black hole in the pit of your stomach will eventually go away." I received such great comfort from those words that I wondered why they aren't engraved on sympathy cards. I think because they came from one who had experienced what I was going through. She had been in my position & she KNEW.

My husband, Milt Maiman, died in May, 1999, and since then, the Lord & I have had many heart-to-heart talks as I tried to understand the whole issue of death and the horrendous feelings that accompany it. For the next year, I just didn't want to hear any kind of bad news. I actually covered my ears at times to prevent any evil from touching me. The death of a spouse is the breaking apart of something, which G-d has put together & the experience is literally heart breaking. It made me so sensitive to emotional pain that I was wounded. I felt as if I was on overload & one more piece of bad news would destroy me. If you lose someone close, you can identify with this. I think that's why some turn to alcohol or other drugs - to dull the pain, but that just makes things worse & prolongs the empty feelings.

Well, I took my pain to the L-rd, & you know, He understood perfectly. He lost someone so close to Him, it was like losing a piece of Himself. So I felt very secure in His Presence because He understood. He KNOWS! He taught me a few lessons along the way and helped me to understand that He specializes in RESTORING LOST SOULS. When we are wounded and have lost our way, He LEADS & GUIDES US & SOMETIMES CARRIES US. He understands mourning and wants to COMFORT us.

We cannot do it alone & why should we? He is our Rock and our Deliverer. The L-rd is an ever-present help in time of trouble. He is the Resurrection & the Life! He is our Commander of the Armies of Heaven, (L-rd of Hosts). And He is only a prayer away. As a believer in Y'shua (Jesus), I receive much comfort from the L-rd and I know in my heart that I will see Milt again. Death is only a temporary separation until the resurrection. We will always miss our loved ones, but that feeling in the pit of your stomach will go away eventually.

There is great HOPE available to us & something as simple as reading the Bible can minister much healing to our souls. Just resting in the L-rd and allowing Him to deal with your hurt can restore your soul and give you PEACE. And establishing Peace is the main goal of every healthy soldier, isn't it?!