Tracy K Pratt

Anticipatory Grief Tracy K Pratt

"This should not be," the soul cries at the first sign death will come to what we treasure. Yes, we grieve when we anticipate loss. It has an official name: Anticipatory Grief. Our unique journeys share a universal heartache that began long ago. The climate of uncertainty creates an underlying tension that does not go away until the loss is final. We live in a season where what we love fades and we hope death will not come. The heartache is real and life-changing whether death threatens a marriage, the health of a family member, or a dream come true. Our choice to engage with grief, or not, shapes the health of our soul. Anticipatory Grief, The Journey of a Thousand Losses and Endless Grace will: - identify the specific characteristics of the daily tension- identify four types of loss unique to anticipatory grief- identify the effects on existing relationships- acknowledge the unpredictable emotions and show how to engage them with honesty and wisdom- provide small habits for the daily health for the soulFrom the first chapter to the last, we see our circumstances are not judgment. Nor is grief a sin. This good and faithful presence showed up the moment death entered the world. Good? Yes, for anticipatory grief's abrasive qualities lead us to God, the Grace-Giver, whose good nature we naturally assume should protect what we love. We wonder why He denies our pleas. Instead, God comes with an invitation to rest. To trust. He is well acquainted with our grief in a way no one has experienced. We can know mercy in the little losses, discover grace on hard days, and trust His hope in disappointment when we grieve before death comes to our treasure.