In response to the first two chapters of "A Grief Observed"

In "A Grief Observed" by C. S. Lewis, Lewis writes through his struggles after losing his wife.  As with anyone who has just lost a close friend or family member, he beings to ask questions, question what is right and wrong, question what is real, and question God.  The difference between most people and Lewis, however, is that he has a unique, creative, way of thinking and writing and is very talented in transferring information from his mind to paper.

Losing his wife (whom he refers to as "H.") sorrowed him very deeply.  And why wouldn't it?  It was his lifelong partner, his lover.  He lost his father, mother, and wife to cancer.  In his journal, as I would consider it to be, Lewis digs extremely deep into his mind to try and bring meaning to everything.  He even questions if his memories, thoughts, and images of H. would grow “fictious” and into an imaginable woman.  He is not pleased with this, but comes to the reality that it is highly possible.  Through his suffering, he also holds another conversation within his writing, which talks about the very nature of God.

The thing that he said that grabbed my attention the most was, "It doesn't really matter whether you grip the arms of the dentist's chair or let your hands lie in your lap.  The drill drills on."  He was saying this in the context that suffering is suffering and there is nothing to do with it "except to suffer it."  I believe that God can and will deliver us from our suffering permanently, but many times he lets us suffer hardships so that we can grow, learn, be a witness, and many other things that God may have in mind that we may not understand.  This quote applies to life in general.  We have choices in life, "Will I grip the arms of the chair of let them lie in my lap?"  Life goes on whether you accept it or not.  It's a question of what will you do with it?

The text that I am relating "A Grief Observed" to may seem odd to some, but it does show meaning.  The book of Joel can be applied here.  Joel describes the day before the Lord comes.  There's fire, smoke, the sky is dark, and the moon is blood red, but the coming of the Lord brings hope, joy, and life!  God can bring us through our struggles, such as the death of a loved one; we just need to continuously trust Him.