It was Friday at dusk when I went out to feed our 30-year-old horse, Amos. He was waiting a short distance away from his trough as I walked to the barn to get his food. He knows the routine.

All the other animals were getting settled in before the sun had completely set. The fields were quiet except for Amos’ old hooves stomping their way toward me. They sounded tired. With each painful tread and beat, my heart broke. I brushed him while he ate, the only comfort I could provide. My eyes were completely blurred with tears that I didn’t immediately notice the bald spots I was forming from brushing his thinning coat, and that’s when I broke down.

Hearing my sobs, Amos lifted his head from the trough and looked at me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and squeezed just a little harder than normal this time as he rested his heavy head on my shoulder, hugging me back. (Horses have an incredible ability to respond to human emotions, making them one of the best therapy animals out there.)

I let go and walked away without looking back. Amos died peacefully the next day.

Some may ridicule grieving the loss of a horse. Whether it be a horse, a dog, or a family member, grief is grief. It’s heavy and complex where even the simple changes in my daily routine makes the place feel emptier.

In moments like this, turning to scripture helps.

Psalm 6 opens with a heartfelt cry for help:

O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger,
nor discipline me in your wrath.
Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing;
heal me, O LORD, for my bones are troubled.
My soul is also greatly troubled.
But you, O LORD- how long?

psalm 6:1-3

David’s trouble runs deeper than losing a horse, but he’s asking God for what we all ask for in seasons of struggles and battles: Relief.

We want to get through the pain using the express route to get to the other side where there is peace and restoration, but rarely does the journey end so quickly. Like David, many of us wind up asking How long will this suffering last? Sometimes we may wonder if God even hears us when we call out to Him.

Psalm 6 reassures us that He does:

for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping.
THE LORD has heard my plea;
the LORD accepts my prayer.

psalm 6:8-9

I have a note written in my Bible by these verses that says, In the darkest of times, we can trust God’s heart. Our agony is temporary.

Grief is one of the many results of love and companionship. I am thankful for love. I am thankful for companionship. Therefore, as strange as it may sound, I am thankful for grief.

Songs for the broken heart: