Nearly a year ago, our beloved sister in Christ, Heidi Gerrish, was killed tragically in an auto accident. The lives of Stephen and Kat Gerrish were also changed, and so many who know and love the Gerrish family were impacted. The date of May 21, 2023, will be the one-year anniversary of these tragic losses.
The sadness and perhaps the anger or disorientation of these losses may continue to permeate our lives. Generally speaking, grief journeys tend to include the following stages:
- Shock & Denial
- Pain & Guilt
- Anger & Bargaining (usually with God)
- Depression, Reflection, Loneliness
- The Upward Turn
- Reconstruction & Working Through
- Acceptance & Hope
Unfortunately, the journey of grief does not always go in a straight line from the initial shock to acceptance. Usually, we double back at some point, and the one-year anniversary of any loss often marks the beginning of an even more difficult leg of the grief journey. We must allow the difficulty in order to move through it.
To mark the one-year anniversary of Heidi’s death, we will be planting a tree as part of worship on Sunday, May 21. As always, all are welcome at worship.
If you would like more information about the stages of grief or need a listening ear, please be in touch with Pastor Sarah at [email protected] or 602-318-6876.