...it's essential that you don't stay in denial. You must make it known that it's difficult, that you're struggling.

Maybe you've thought that as a Christian you have to smile and pretend to be okay when someone asks you how you are doing. Perhaps you think that if you're grieving, then you're dishonoring God. This isn't so.

You probably have your own scenes you've lived through---scenes where you think that if only people knew what was really going on, they might cut you some slack and help you.

...we're often made to feel like we need to choke down our tears and grief instead of dealing with it in healthy and honest ways.

Grieving is a messy process, and you yearn for it to just go away. You don't know when a sunset or a trip to the pharmacy is going to trigger a memory that crushes your spirit.

Grief is work, and sometimes it's very hard work. It can be overwhelming.

It's imperative that you are honest about the pain that you are going through. Rather than trying harder and keeping it to yourself, it's important that you grieve your loss and come to terms with your reality.

While an incredible preacher in London, Charles Spurgeon often battled depression and massive despair. On one occasion he was out of ministry for six months and had to leave the country. He was so depressed he ha difficulty getting out of bed. He said that when depression would come upon him, he felt like a man who was fighting the mist; it was everywhere, and he couldn't hit it.