Laughter, Tears, and the God Who Stays

As most of you know, I lost my mom in November of 2025 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. The grief I feel was so big. I have started to heal from the initial realization that she is no longer there for me to talk to. It hurts. But in the healing process the days get better with less time spent in tears. I can feel the presence of God surrounding me and speaking truth into my weary soul. He tells me to look up at Him. He wipes my tears and restores my joy. I go on again until the next time that I am reminded that she is no longer here. Sometimes it is in a smell of what she made for dinner. Other times it is in the ditziness of things I have done. I can hear us laughing together and I can see her face, her smile and I am thankful that I had such a good relationship with her in my younger years. The other night as I was teaching Bible Study at my church, through Facebook Live, I had one of these ditzy moments.

You see, I thought I was on my church Bible Study group. I was not. After the initial embarrassment came the laughter and I could hear my mom laughing with me. The laughter subsided and I regained composure. Then today the laughter turned to tears as my dad sent a message with a photo of my mom’s grave marker. All the grief hit like a wave again. But God who loves me beyond measure began ministering once again to my broken heart.

He turned me back to Him through His Word. He spoke life to me through others that did not know what I was going through today. He does that all the time. He says He will never leave me or forsake me. I believe Him. I trust Him and I love Him like no other. He is my King. He is my Savior. He is my Redeemer. He restores my soul and gives me peace and rest. He holds tightly to me and carries me when I can no longer walk. He sends others my way to help hold me up. He can do this for you too. Reach out to Him and He will take care of you.

Grief does not move in straight lines. It comes in waves. One moment you are steady, the next you feel the ache all over again. That does not mean you are failing. It means you loved deeply. The very pain you feel is evidence of connection.

Here is the truth we hold onto. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. He does not rush our healing. He walks us through it. When the memories sting, He is present. When embarrassment turns to laughter, He is present. When laughter turns back into tears, He is still present.

If you are carrying loss today, you are not weak for feeling it. You are human. And you are not alone. The same God who restores her soul restores yours. He will steady you in the dizzy moments. He will send help when your knees feel weak. He will carry you when you cannot carry yourself.

Hold on. He is holding you.