Finding Joy in Sorrow
Jeremiah 31:13 says, I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.
I heard this passage in a broadcast today and discovered the meaning of it. We have experienced several deaths of loved ones recently. Most significant to me, of course, was the loss of my father in October, after watching him struggle to be healed all Summer. Our family lived in a state of frustration while multiple medical teams failed to come up with a diagnosis. We spent months in prayers, discussions, treatments, surgeries, and diagnostic tests too numerous to count until he was in too much pain to continue the fight. The day after he passed the doctor called with a diagnosis – metastatic cancer of the urothelial system. (I only note this for the curious who don’t like to be left in a state of perplexity.)
So, as you can imagine, we spent the entire Summer and Fall already grieving for the man he was just prior to the onset of this journey. He was strong and tough and busy, busy, busy. He cared for the yard, planted a large garden, made their meals, did the shopping, was rebuilding a tractor out in the barn, going to sporting events for the great-grandchildren, planning which car shows to attend... A man who was nowhere close to death – at least not on the outside.
Then came the funeral, and it was amazing. It was a wonderful tribute to a very much-loved man of the community who worked so very hard his whole life and served others in many ways. It was one of those services you walk away from feeling good about, even in your grief. He was nearly 89 years old, yet rather than a sparsely filled funeral home, it was packed! They were running out of space to park vehicles that were heading to the cemetery. The luncheon afterward filled the church basement! There were so many stories and laughter and love shared about my father that it pushed that pain and grief aside and brought us joy. We knew that he had touched several lives beyond our personal family network and left a legacy in many others’ lives as well. That is how God’s presence turns our mourning into gladness, and our sorrow into joy.
Now that I recognize it, I can place it into many scenarios. The daughters whose father was not very present in their lives, but who saw a whole different man in the stories of the people who knew him from work whom he had helped along the way. It took their bitterness away and gave them peace instead. The many young friends of my son, who said they’d be in a bad place if Evan hadn’t spoken to them and helped them turn from a dark path. I knew he was a solid Christian, but I didn’t know he was doing that. It was amazing!
I believe you too have seen this if you reflect upon funerals you have attended. God brings these people to us to tell their stories, to bring us the comfort and joy our loved one brought to them.
Debbie Smith
No comments:
Post a Comment