The loss of a loved one cannot be made good. They cannot be brought back, so our attitude to the bereavement is all‑important. As Christians it can either drive us nearer to God to obtain His grace, or it can sour us for ever after. We must guard against the feeling that God has been unkind to let it happen; but when we talk about accepting it I do not mean this in an unfeeling way as though it never happened.
The sheer depth of grief sometimes makes it difficult to believe that it has happened at all. This is an understandable symptom of grief, but when the non‑acceptance becomes an attitude towards God then spiritual damage can ensue.
Two young women whose fiances were in the army during world war one both received notices that they had been killed in action. One of them became extremely bitter against God and turned from her faith. The other was rarely seen for some weeks. She was praying out her sorrow before God and allowing him to absorb her grief.
She later emerged from her vigil announcing that she could love no other, and henceforth her life would be dedicated to God and His service. There we see the difference between acceptance and bitterness.