A Marinade for My Soul

From a letter to a dear friend, copied here,

I am coming to realize that somewhere around our current time of life there is a lot of grief, a lot of letting go.  And not only the "big" things like death of loved ones and prodigal children and upheavals in church.

Every loss, every change, every dream that doesn't turn out like we planned, everything that has stopped happening that we wish could continue, prompts grief.  And who is to say that one source of grief is worse than/more important than/more worthy of sympathy than another?

What I know is that each loss acts on my soul like lemon juice or vinegar on a roast.  The marinade softens the fibers, making it easier to be cut or torn in the future.  

Every day for us all is the challenge to continue living, make a conscious effort to forgive, and decide what to do with what we have left.  When does God want to me quietly place it in His hands and wait, and when does He want me to get noisy about things myself and work toward a change?