For All Who Grieve: Navigating the Valley of Sorrow and Loss

by Colin S. Smith

When Pastor Colin Smith found himself counseling grieving couples in his church, he turned to the book of Lamentations for help. What unfolded is recorded in this book.

Written with compassion and understanding, yet honestly facing the difficult questions that death stirs up, For All Who Grieve shows what it looks like to grieve with hope.

Based on the biblical themes of tears, talk, guilt, grievance, hope, and healing this book will demonstrate how to navigate the valley of grief, sorrow, and loss.

Most of all, though, it points to Christ, our Savior, who knows what it is to walk sorrow’s path. For when you pass through the valley of sorrow and loss, you are in a place where Christ can be found.

Genres: Grief, Counselling

144 pages, Hardcover

Published January 20, 2020

About the author

Colin Smith was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He came to personal faith in Christ at the age of six, and sensed God's call to pastoral ministry early in life. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Theology and Master of Philosophy from London Bible College. Before coming to the States in 1996, Colin served as the Senior Pastor of the Enfield Evangelical Free Church in London for 16 years. While in London, he was active in the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches in England; and served the Fellowship as president.Colin currently serves as Senior Pastor of the The Orchard Evangelical Free Church in Arlington Heights, Illinois. He is committed to preaching the Bible in a way that nourishes the soul by directing attention to Jesus Christ. He has published several books and is the teacher of the popular evangelistic video series, 10 Keys for Unlocking the Bible Story.

Reviews

[Blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I've had times of incredible grief throughout my life (loss of my father, loss of friends, etc.), nothing touches the soul like grieving the loss of a child. We've often heard people say, "No parent should have to bury their child." Such a reality is what happens in a sin-cursed, fallen world. Many questions come up when one is grieving. Many struggles arise. How one responds to great loss is often dependent upon cultural influence, influence of upbringing, influence of faith, etc. In this excellent, short book, Colin Smith does a wonderful job of walking the reader through thoughts on subjects such as: Tears, Talk, Guilt, Grievance, Hope, and Healing. In great loss, tears are okay, normal, and to be expected. In great loss, one should be allowed to talk, if he/she so desires. The desire to talk will ebb and flow. Having others who have gone through great loss to visit with can be very helpful. Some feel guilt over the loss of the loved one. Such a person wrestles with questions like, "Could I have done something differently?" or "Is God punishing me for...?" or sometimes they will use an "If only..." statement in expressing their feelings of guilt. A harder subject that was tackled in the pages of this book was one of grievance...grievance that the person may have against God. Smith does a wonderful job of navigating through some of the hard issues that come with grievance. Smith also talks about hope. How does one find hope in the midst of great loss? Is there hope? Yes indeed. Hope is possible. Which lead to the final section on healing. Is there a healing available to the person who has suffered the loss of a loved one? Yes there is.

What makes Smith's book so wonderful are two main things: 1) Intervwoven throughout the pages of the book are the true stories of people who suffered great loss, how they walked through the time of sorrow, and how being with a group of fellow-grievers was so critical in the process of healing; and 2) The book is built around an understanding of the book of Lamentations. The author uses Lamentations as a platform to help these couples work their way through the process of lamenting/grieving. He shows how applicable Jeremiah's words from thousands of years ago are to life in the 21st century. The author also reaches into the pages of the book of Job to show another angle on grieving. These two strengths added both biblical insight and practical, real-to-life perspectives on how to walk through grief.

I believe this book would be a great resource for any believer who is in the process of grieving. Possibly it could be a tool used to begin a discussion with an unbeliever who is also working through the dark valley of sorrow.

[Lindsey Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book does not shy away from addressing the hard questions that grief demands you to ask. It does not make grief light or clean. Through real and raw stories as well as processed thoughts of doubt, confusion, and misery it looks grief in the eye and names it for what it is. It observes anger, guilt, shame, loneliness, as well as hope. I think the book does a good job explaining hope in light of grief. The author is comfortable holding God as sovereign over our suffering instead of a passive bystander. Lots to chew on from this book.

[Laramie Gildon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very helpful book on grief. I’ve done personal studies on grief, but this book was based on a support group a pastor led at his church as he walked through the book of Lamentations with a group of bereaved families dealing with grief in very different ways, but experienced very similar struggles during their grieving process. It’s a short read, but it’s filled with scripture and anecdotal references. The postscript and appendix were also very helpful at the end of the book. I highly recommend this book and as a pastor I plan on using this resource in the future.

[Laura Eder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read this book which I've given to so many people who are experiencing grief through loss. God gave us an entire book of the Bible that deals with sorrow - it's an invitation to lament what is lost. This book brings those words to bear alongside the stories of several people from my church who lost spouses and children and found hope and comfort from God in their deep and continued pain. Highly recommend.

[Eugenia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good

This book combines sound exegesis with real life examples of grief to be a practical aid for those who grieve.

[Adam Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A compassionate and helpful exploration of what it looks like to grieve with hope as Christians. Colin Smith uniquely brings together the stories of grieving parents (the catalyst for the book; it's applicable to all who grieve) and the book of Lamentations, in a way that offers real hope.

I say "real hope" because Colin Smith addresses the reality of thoughts and emotions that accompany grief, and the different experiences people may have, acknowledging that there are not neat and tidy answers. But at the same time, there is Someone who offers hope even in these dark valleys.

I particularly appreciated his reflections on Lamentations 3:21-24, where God's people find hope not in a distant future but in truths that bring strength for that day: the steadfast love of the Lord, his daily mercies, and his unfailing presence.

Each chapter ends with some discussion questions, and I think this book would probably work very well as a basis for discussion. There's then a list of other helpful resources at the end.

[Josh Perez · Rating 3 out of 5]

1) Lamentations is a book in the Bible that in many ways is devoted to the topic of grief. There are no punches pulled in its depiction. It is raw, real, and rugged. Smith is the rare pastor who has stopped to take notice of a neglected book and who is willing to take the risk of harvesting the crops grown on theological soil.

2) Even though he embarks on an interesting premise, Smith does not bring much sizzle to the table. His observations are relatively basic and lack the trademark insight that separates basic writers from brilliant writers. His personal stories add a realistic and grounded dimension to his work but they are not enough to carry it across the finish line. At best this work is a short primer swimming in an ocean of identical twins.

3) This is a crowded field to write in and while the Lamentations angle held promise I felt like it was not milked enough to elevate the status of this book.

Overall, contains some helpful connections to Lamentations, but ultimately not unique enough to stand on its own.

[Ann Feutz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had this book recommended to me by my pastor’s mom who was part of a peer review committee for this book. I lost my husband last year to acute liver and kidney failure. Although this book primarily explores losing a child, it does so with respect to other types of intense grief and loss. I appreciated how the book of Lamentations was used and I felt Like I was able to connect to the stories shared by those who had lost someone very, very dear to them.

[Ra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grief is part of the tapestry of life in this broken world yet seldom taught or spoken of and not a part of school curricula!
The accounts of personal tragedy shared in this beautifully-presented hardback book are poignant and instructive. The author guides the reader to reflect and ponder these, pointing then to Biblical truth to address important, pertinent questions.
This pastoral, compassion-rich book is one I appreciate and recommend.

[Phil Butcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really helpful and wise exploration of grief as Christians - using the book of Lamentations as a guide. This book will encourage you whether you are grieving or not.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick but excellent and soul-enriching read on processing grief through the lens of Lamentations.

[Tim Wester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good

[Toni Grove · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and easy to read, but not simplistic. He takes you through key principles in the book of Lamentations, while using some real life stories of people he worked with in a support group.

[Joseph Walliker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a helpful commentary on the book of Lamentations, but especially in the last few weeks as grief has been close to me, ahead of my gran's funeral this coming Wednesday.
There is a counselor who sits with us, speaks to us, and comforts us in the hope of the resurrection for those who die, and strength for the lives of those left behind.

[Jonathan Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book! Sweet for those who grieve and gives words to the sorrow of those who have lost loved ones. I have the honor of preaching Lamentations at our church this month and Colin Smith’s book and sermons have been very helpful! I pray that I honor the text and follow the Spirit’s prompting in teaching this.
Recommended book

[Alastair Gooderham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliantly helpful little book of testimonies, and biblical reflection on Lamentations and grief.