"Sorrow is better than laughter, for by a sad countenance the heart is made better."
Ecclesiastes 7:4
The verse goes onto say
"the heart of the wise is in the house of mourning..."
These are the verses I read today and I have been thinking about this. Sorrow better than laughter? Wisdom in mourning? I don't know about others, but this sorrow really hurts. Really, really hurts. Down deep.
A friend recently sent us a sermon on grief. The pastor talks about how the word "reave" from "bereaved" means "to plunder, to rob, to take away by force."
That is how I feel.
Like I have been robbed. Like something precious has been wrongly snatched away from me.
This pastor then went on to say that through sorrow many ask some of those life meaning questions.
What is the purpose of life? What happens after death? How am I living my life?
I think this is just a little part of what the author of Ecclesiastes is saying about the heart made better...the heart of the wise is in the house of mourning.
This sadness has refined my soul, my vision, my desires.
I know I will see little Rebekah again. Now I want to make sure that others will be there with us...
rejoicing in a place where there is no more tears.
No more sadness.
No more mourning.
No more sorrow.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16
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5 joyful people left comments:
Psalm 30...one of my many favorite Psalms says, "I cried out for Your help and You healed me. You called me back to life from those in the pit. Make music to praise the Lord. Give Him thanks. Weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning." I am so sorry for your loss and I can not say I know what that feels like. I can not imagine. I only hope this passage can be of some help to you!
Yes.
I can relate.
It is great wisdom to be down in the depths of despair and grief and call out to God to rescue you....
Keep calling! Keep reaching!
It hurts so bad sometimes I'd like to be physically wounded instead.
And in His gracious faithfulness, He does lift us out of that pit when it gets too deep.
Praise God that you're keeping a journal through this blog.
Keep making music to Him. And I'll sing and make music on your behalf too.
Beautiful Karen. I just read Ecc 7-9. I absolutely love the verses you posted. I may have to share them on my blog as well :) I love finding a piece of scripture that just speaks to me and I can totally relate to and look to for hope. Thank you.
Love,
Katy
Such comfort that there is understanding of sorrow - being bereaved - in Scripture. I've found much in Psalms and Lamentations, naturally, to be of solace. Thinking of you and keeping you in prayer. I find the paradoxes of my days mind-bending - so happy one minute, so sad the next. My five-year-old wept in church on Sunday for the first time in months, begging to see our baby's photo. There were about four newborns around us and I think it overwhelmed him. Me, too. xo
i too find comfort in this. i have discovered the depth and breadth and length and width of God's overwhelming love through this loss. and His compassion and compulsion for others as well. it is amazing to me that when he poured out His love and grieved with me, held my hand and wrapped me in his love that what he left with me was the need to reach out and share that with others and to simply and completely love others as He does.
thinking of you today as well. (((hugs)))
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