How good is grief for our growth
It makes us travel certain roads
Down difficult paths we would never venture
If not forced to, by such displeasure.
Grief refines us, makes us grow
It begs us to seek Him and search our souls
Such levels of intimacy with the Lord
Can never be taught, or bought, or sold.
God may allow the thorn in our side
To keep us humble, meek and kind
The truth comes out during tragedy and grief
Let’s see who you are, if you are what you believe.
Our faith would never be as strong
If it weren’t allowed to further us along
Good grief grinds us, grounds us, we reflect on our soul
Then His grace becomes sufficient and makes us whole!
Jessie Jeanine 
March 5, 2016 at 6:27 am
That’s wonderful Jessie! :)
April 20, 2012 at 8:05 am
Hello Jessie Jeanine I’ve nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award. I hope you enjoy it. Details can be found here: http://wp.me/p1ZC80-U4
Love, Steph
April 22, 2012 at 8:08 pm
Thank you so much for the nomination Steph ~ I greatly appreciate it :) Many blessings to you dear!
April 22, 2012 at 9:37 pm
My pleasure.
March 14, 2012 at 1:52 am
Hi Jessie,
I’ve nominated you for the Beautiful Blogger Award, Very Inspiring Blogger and Sunshine Award. I’ve included all nominees for all awards, so if you choose to accept, feel free to accept all or any award on this post. I truly hope this makes sense! Please visit my blog for more info: http://lscotthoughts.com/2012/03/14/beautiful-blogger-very-inspiring-sunshine-award.
Lauren xx
March 15, 2012 at 5:06 pm
Oh my goodness Lauren ~ thank you so much for all the exquisite encouragement my friend! You are so gracious and sweet and I feel honored that you follow my blog, because yours has always been a favorite of mine. It is such a blessing to be able to share with you :) Warm hugs and His peace to you. xoxo
March 13, 2012 at 6:49 pm
“He whom he loveth he also chastiseth”. Remember that one? Not that God actually places thorns in our sides, but HE allows them to enter there for a time in order to bring us into His will, His design for our lives. Wonderful poem expressing this, dear JessieJ!
March 13, 2012 at 6:54 pm
Beautifully stated my friend and I agree whole heartily ~ thank you!
March 13, 2012 at 4:34 am
Powerfully written & wonderfully true!
March 13, 2012 at 6:26 pm
Thank you and it’s great to meet you here :)
March 11, 2012 at 2:03 pm
Excellent post! Never looked at grief in that way, but when we are done with grieving we look back and we can see how far we come and matured..God bless
March 11, 2012 at 4:16 pm
Yes – that maturity and the distance we’ve traveled are the blessings or good that can come from grief. It is often tough to see in the midst of it though. Bless you too!
March 11, 2012 at 3:24 am
Gabby and Autumn have nominated you for the Hope Unites Globally (HUG) Award. If you choose to accept this award, here are the guidelines: http://ahopefortoday.com/2012/01/14/hope-unites-globally-hug-award-guidelines/ Thank you for making the world a better place with your writing.
March 11, 2012 at 4:24 pm
Oh Gabby and Autumn, thank you so much for this wonderful award! I really appreciate all it represents and that you think me worthy of receiving it. Your compliment about my writing touches my heart and humbles me :)
“Hope is an expectant desire; a confidence in a future event; a ground for trust and confidence; to think; to look forward to with trust and expectant desire.”
Be well my friends and many blessings to you!
March 9, 2012 at 6:45 pm
I love this picture :) I can’t wait to hug him someday!
March 11, 2012 at 4:28 pm
Me too! :) My favorite picture though is with a favorite poem titled “If Jesus Spoke To Me.” Hope you enjoy it as well and blessings to you!
March 9, 2012 at 4:28 am
Beautiful writing and message, Jessie…I just spoke to my Dad and he broke down, talking about Mom (she passed away a month ago). Then, of course, my emotions started and I told him that crying is okay. It’s part of grieving and even though we know Mom is at peace and in a better place, it’s going to be difficult for awhile and to let the tears flow~He’s 92, she was 90, and they had spent 70 years together…anyway, too much info. for you, but I couldn’t have read your poem at a more opportune time…thank you~xx
March 11, 2012 at 4:45 pm
My dear sister… I think God uses our tears to cleanse our soul and help make us whole (in Him.) My heart aches for the grief I know you and your family are going through and especially for your dad. What an incredible witness being married for so long is to this world and how truly blessed that they had such a wonderful union based in companionship and love for so long. It isn’t too much info my friend, I just wish I had adequate words to comfort you with, but I’m so much better at this in person. I would just hug and hold you! I was thinking of you and your dad when I did todays post… I hope it may offer you some solace as well. I really wish I could embed it though, because it has such a beautiful melody that I think can help us to appreciate it even more. If you’re interested, you could email me and I can try to send a link that way, but I’ll leave that to you. And while we get to “HUG” one another, I envision your mom safely wrapped within His loving embrace forever now. Christ love and peace to you my sweet friend. ♥¸¸.•*¨*•♥ HUGS ♥•*¨*•.¸¸♥
March 8, 2012 at 7:27 pm
“Let’s see who you are, if you are what you believe.” Yes, our actions do speak louder than our words.
Keep the Faith!
March 8, 2012 at 8:11 pm
AMEN!
March 8, 2012 at 6:59 pm
Amen! Beautiful heartfelt poem!
God Bless You!
March 8, 2012 at 8:09 pm
Blessings to you too my friend and thank you!
March 8, 2012 at 6:52 pm
This is beautiful, Jessie. Thank you for sharing it.
March 8, 2012 at 8:14 pm
Thank you Jonathan. It was inspired by a sermon I recently heard :) I appreciate your visit here as well and its nice to meet you.
March 8, 2012 at 9:38 pm
Thank you, Jessie. And for the the follow on and RT’s on Twitter. I’ll be sure to follow back! Great to meet you too!