Grief-Stricken, The Workplace

by Charles Ligon

The phone call came early one morning. Through unimaginable emotional pain, my colleague and friend told me his twin daughters had been in a horrific car accident. One daughter was killed and the other had been gravely injured and transported to an ICU-Trauma unit. This accident was every parent’s worst nightmare and ushered in a season of deep, deep grief from which this mother and father will never fully recover.  As I listened to my friend suffering through his spoken words, I had no answers. My only response was to be there for him. 

What happens when tragedy comes your way? What happens when a colleague, friend, or teammate faces a tragic loss? How do we respond? First, understand that God shows no partiality (Acts 10:34) and promises to help all who grieve. No matter how deep the suffering, God will see you through it. He is the “Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). Sometimes the pain is more than you can bear but God is with you and He will sustain you. He may not remove the pain but He will give you the strength to bear it. Your grief may be great but His grace is greater.

If your co-worker is grief-stricken don’t feel like you need to have all the answers. There are no words or persuasive assurances we can offer. Unless we’ve walked in those shoes we can’t pretend to know how they feel. Nor can we take the pain away, only God can do that. It is a time to practice the ministry of presence and to show care and compassion. Become a servant to them and find ways to lift their burden. Coordinate with others acts of service to handle the peripheral matters (meals, pets, chores, mail, etc.). Pray for them and with them, and share a comforting word from scripture. God will bring healing in His time.

Your workplace challenge is to practice the ministry of presence for those grieving around you. Be compassionate and find ways to serve them. If it’s you that’s grief-stricken, lean into the Lord knowing that His grace is greater than your pain. He will get you through it, one hour, one day, and one week at a time. God said: when you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire you will not be burned, and the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God. (Isaiah 43:2-3). Make today count for His Glory.