The Hidden Power of Loss and Grief Part 4
May 1, 2026
The Hidden Power of Loss and Grief Part 4
The heart feeds on love, faith, and hope. Hope engenders the ability to anticipate the future. Indeed, it helps us realize that there will be a future. If there is a future, hope helps us trust that we will show up for it. On the Enneagram of Soul, hope activates Sacred Creativity. Yes, paradoxically, loss and grief have their own way of evoking hope by stirring creativity in our hearts. In the act of creating, we find meaning and express it. When we dream, wonder, envision, and put our ideas into motion, we are full of life… we do not have the time or interest for self-pity or emotional paralysis. Hope empowers us.
Faith is an essential trust that counteracts the abject darkness inherent in great loss. The heart is the center of trust and faith, which are “the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1.) When, in our darkness, we are empowered by faith, the next step is always illumined for us. For me, the fear of not knowing the future and of experiencing the darkness of loss makes me feel out of any control— I am at the mercy of whatever comes next. But this is when I am in my ego. In the soul, however, we have direct access to faith and trust. Under my own power, I could not continue to traverse the labyrinth of loss and grief. They instill too much doubt. I am humbled that divine faith empowers me.
Loss can increase the heart’s compassion and empathy. It can give us a different perspective—one that considers how others feel about their losses. How do we come by this power? When we suffer loss, we are more sensitive to how others handle our pain. We experience those who do not care, some who are voyeurs into our pain, and others who genuinely care for us. In such experiences, we value those who honor our pain, and we suffer at the insensitivity of those who do not. It is natural to associate with and compare our own loss with others'; we know what is generally most helpful to say or do in others’ losses. We are gifted with the super-power of deep empathy.
Spiritual practice: After your losses, have you ever experienced more powerful hope, faith, and compassion? Journal about all three of these qualities and how they show up in you now, more so than before your loss.
Self-inquiry: Why would you need more hope, faith, and compassion after loss?
Prayer:
Dear God, For the gift of creativity, I give you thanks and praise. Amen
