When Life Does What it Does
and what we can do about it.
Hello friends!
Thank you for the continued support of Grieve, Breathe, Receive! Seeing so many of you walking through the preorder bonus Evening Psalms for Lent has been exciting.
I wanted you all to get a little sense of where the book is headed. Honestly, Grieve, Breathe, Receive is the most vulnerable work I’ve written to date. Writing it has been equally challenging and healing as I’ve faced my wounds, losses, and insecurities.
If I’m honest, the vulnerability of this book has left me waking some mornings with anxiety because of how raw it is. That’s part of the journey we walk through when faced with grief, isn’t it? We dive deep into the pain, stay with ourselves, and find ways to heal. Then, we get to share what we’ve discovered with others.
Why Grieve, Breathe, Receive?
Grieve, Breathe, Receive.
These three words comforted me during my grief season, but not at first. Before I could really understand the weight of them and how they would change me, I needed to unpack my own buried beliefs, wounds, biases, and fears.
One early morning while hiking in the desert, I made the connection between GBR, the holy weekend, and the desert journey in the Old Testament, viewing them as a framework for the grief journey.
Grieve. Breathe. Receive.
Friday. Saturday. Sunday.
Egypt. Desert. Promised Land.
Of course, grief cannot be contained in three days, words, or places, much in the same way grief is not linear or a problem to solve. As the band Brand New once sang, “Jesus Christ, what did you do those three days you were dead because this problem is going to last more than the weekend.”
Our lives are too rich, messy, and complex to sustain easy answers. Grief, death, burial, resurrection. The journey. Seeing the power of what these three examples symbolize gave me hope.
All spaces are brimming with meaning-making. Not linear but wildly messier and wandering, this framework is a gift that can keep our hearts and souls staying tender and open — because the story isn’t over.
— Steve Carter
As I spent time journaling and connecting with Jesus this morning, I thought of each of you. I imagined what sort of grief you may be holding right now. I prayed over your hearts, minds, and spirits. I know we all experience painful things and stressful moments. We carry anxiety around with us as we go to our jobs, classes, and grocery stores. My prayer for you in your grief journey is, “May you sense the Lord’s nearness in the shock, may you remember you’re not alone in the silence, and may your heart and soul stay open for the Lord to surprise you.”
grace + peace
steve carter
+ It’s not too late to join us for the Lent reading the Evening Psalms! This preorder bonus is available to everyone who gets a copy of Grieve, Breathe, Receive, just head here to fill out this form and we’ll send you the first forty chapters of the Evening Psalms. Part 2 will be delivered for Easter and automatically sent to all who already preordered and submitted the form (no need to preorder again to get Part 2, unless you’re excited about the book and want to buy more to share!)
If you’re enjoying these posts and know someone who would love them, consider sharing grace + peace with your friends and community. This is a free, grassroots publication, and I desire to share with as many as possible the hope that can be found in our grief journeys. Thank you!
Just ordered, and looking forward to the vulnerable writing. Honesty speaks the most.