When we're born (hopefully with a mother and a father), we as children get the sense that all is right and perfect within our world. This is the way the family was designed to be: a female mother, a male father and children. We feel loved, protected and cared for. We can never conceive the idea of a tragedy occurring, threatening our very upbringing and peaceful living until either our parents separate, divorce or one of them dies, either tragically or suddenly. And then, the world as we know it . . . JUST . . . STOPS.
From my own experience as a child of divorce, I became very angry and frustrated at my displeasure. Like me, a child might initially take out our anger on the remaining (or surviving) parent, attempting to assign some blame or responsibility to them for our plight. Secondly, we might also be angry at the circumstances in and of themselves. NO ONE likes this sense of uncomfortability! Lastly, we might also be mad at God (although we might not even acknowledge or know to acknowledge His existence!) for allowing such a thing to happen.
Most of all, we just want the pain of our family's incompleteness to stop! Unfortunately, we try to handle ("control") our own pain (independent of anyone's help, including God's!) through unhealthy dating relationships, alcohol and/or drug addictions, sexual encounters, or possibly harmful self-inflicted coping mechanisms like cutting or risky, reckless behavior.
Fortunately, there is HOPE and a remedy to our pain whose name is JESUS. Once there is an understanding that the ultimate and initial reason behind the loss of our parent is The Fall, then we can begin taking steps on a journey to restore some peace to ourselves and those around us.
