Monday, January 6, 2020

Grieving, Mourning, and Dancing














































How completely appropriate. 

My precious grandparents now with the LORD for decades were separated by death for a small handful of years. My grandmother carried on in her life, but she greatly missed her beloved.  She successfully lived on in their home, and eventually to an assisted living.

Several times during these years she was found in the early evening (dark) wearing Grandpa's wool sweater sitting in his recliner. I remember the "uproar" some family members gave over this strange behavior.

Strange? Strange?

At the time I was a young wife with little children, but I could understand Grandma's grief and the comforts she chose during parts of the day. I loved her and I learned from her.

When Grandma went to be with the LORD the only thing I asked for was Grandpa's sweater.

Grieving, agonies, sadnesses----Pain is pain. Sometimes it will be a lifetime of dealing with the grief. 

If you are struggling with sorrows then allow yourself time to grieve, find your appropriate comforts, and then carry on with your life for the LORD.

Life is full of agonies. It is the LORD who helps us through life as we look forward to Glory when there will be no more tears.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
There is an appointed time for everything. 
And there is a time for every event under heaven—

A time to give birth and a time to die;

A time to plant and 
a time to uproot what is planted.

A time to kill and a time to heal;

A time to tear down and a time to build up.

A time to weep and a time to laugh;

A time to mourn and a time to dance.

A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.

A time to search and a time to give up as lost;

A time to keep and a time to throw away.

A time to tear apart and 
a time to sew together;

A time to be silent and a time to speak.

A time to love and a time to hate;
A time for war and a time for peace.
*

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jill,

What a beautiful and necessary post. Everyone grieves differently, and it varies also by the depth of the pain or the difficulty of the circumstance. The story about your grandmother was very touching.

Sadly, there are believers who will just callously say "get over it already".

I believe those who do not grieve - and those who lack empathy for the brokenhearted - are those who themselves never really opened their hearts to love in the first place.

-Carolyn



The Piper's Wife said...

Thank you , Carolyn, for filling in the blanks.

There are also some Christians who abjectly hurt others to the maximum degree, and then arrogantly expect those they destroy to "get on with life"- just like "get another hobby".

Anonymous said...

Hi Jill,

You're welcome.

Sorry that you also have had the misfortune of encountering those kind of Christians. So have we.

-Carolyn

The Piper's Wife said...

Oh, Carolyn, I am so sorry for you also. :o/

Life is so tough, isn't it? When Christians are out to destroy you ---it is even more so.

I do not know the "answer". The solution, though, is trusting the LORD in all things. He knows it all and for His own reasons He allows some evils.

I can list all the good He has brought about in my situation. I praise His name in all of it! It is part of my very own testimony in Him!
I am His child! and look how He upholds this very broken child!

But my heart never, ever stops begging Him to solve our agony! I know Him, so I know He hears every single groan!

Praising the LORD with you! and praying for you in your own sorrow!