Mourn is the word prompt for Day 24 of #write28days. As I thought about it, the first two stanzas of a poem begged me to write them down. The rest followed this afternoon, after a time of reading Scripture.
MOURN BUT DO NOT LOSE HOPE
There is time in our lives for grieving, but it is so important not to lose hope. For those of us who know Jesus, we cling to an everlasting hope.
1 Peter 1:3-7 (CSB)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.
You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Yes, we mourn what could have been
We grieve the loss of loved ones
Our eyes fill with longing tears
~gsw~
I miss my parents. My dad died 26 years ago, just a few months before what would have been his 66th birthday. My mother died three years ago at the age of 93. I grieve all the time lost, but yet there are many sweet memories to keep them alive in my heart.
****And now, as of November 30, 2019, my son, Stephen, has joined them in the cloud of witnesses who have gone ahead to be with Jesus. Because God is faithful, I know my parents and son are with Him, and I will see them again. ****
One day, God will wipe away our tears and we will have joy like we’ve never known before.
Revelation 21:3-5 (CSB)
Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God.
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.
GRIEF IS A PROCESS
We may think that we should get over our grief quickly. But grief is something we have to work through and it cannot be rushed. It would be easy to let depression keep us down, but we can also lament our losses to God.
Days of life will come and go
Things we’ve lost are in the past
More loss may come to wound us
Our mortal days are numbered
Grief could cause depression deep
We will press on through the pain
~gsw~
Faith in God will keep us strong
Our hearts fill with treasure as
Love and mercy overflow
~gsw~
Psalm 30:11-12 (CSB)
You turned my lament into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed
me with gladness, so that I can sing to you and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever.
Tears of happy and of sad
Help our tender hearts to know
Joy can coexist with grief
~gsw~
Hebrews 10:23-25 (CSB)Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful. And let us watch out for one another to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.
As we mourn, let us also remember to encourage each other, to look for the joy in life no matter where we go. May we spur each other on to love more.
You can find the rest of my #write28days series HERE.
I’m linking up with: #InspireMeMonday, #TuneInThursday
Here is the poem in its entirety:
MOURN WITH HOPE
Mourn what never came to be
Grieve what once you had but lost
Weep for dreams that fade away
Mourn but never lose your hope
Grieve but don’t succumb to it
Weep but don’t think all is lost
Yes, we mourn what could have been
We grieve the loss of loved ones
Our eyes fill with longing tears
Days of life will come and go
Things we’ve lost are in the past
More loss may come to wound us
Our mortal days are numbered
Grief could cause depression deep
We will press on through the pain
Faith in God will keep us strong
Our hearts fill with treasure as
Love and mercy overflow
Tears of happy and of sad
Help our tender hearts to know
Joy can coexist with grief
~gsw~
So true, we do grieve but it can be a terrible burden to carry. Love that spinning wheel.
Yes, grief can really be a heavy burden. I’m glad God carries it with us and for friends who come alongside in our grief. Glad you like the spinning wheel. 🙂 Blessings to you, Rebecca!
Dear Gayl,
Thank you for sharing your heart so beautifully here. And thank you for being a friend that I can share my heart with, and offer our prayers together. Those places of mourning can feel so lonely, but God is so good to meet us there and carry the heavy waves for us. His hope and faithfulness are such solid places for us to rest! Blessings, love, and hugs to you Dear Friend! xo
Dear Bettie, I thank you, too, for being a faithful friend who prays for and with me and is so encouraging to me. God does meet us right where we are, doesn’t He? We are blessed! Blessings, love and hugs to you, too, dear friend! xoxo
This is beautiful, Betty, I admire your courage to look at the joy and struggle of life and remind everyone the way to hope through it all!
Thank you, Mary Rose. I appreciate your encouraging comments. And I love how the light of Jesus shines so brightly through Bettie. Blessings to you!
I grieve for my parents too, Gayle. My mom died 20 years ago when she was 90 and my dad died over 20 years ago when he was 79. Friends help to carry the burden of grief. Thank you for this wonderful post!
Dear Laurie,
Grief is hard, but I, too, am thankful for friends and family who help carry the burden, and knowing that God feels our pain and understands. Blessings to you!
Such truth in your beautiful poem, my friend! We need to mourn, weep, and grieve, for they all bring healing. But we need never give up hope!
Thank you so much, Anita! Blessings to you!