"Blessed Are Those Who Mourn"

The alarm went off at 4:10AM this morning. My body jumped out of bed before my mind knew where I was going.

Then I remembered. It was Monday, the day Stacy was scheduled for surgery. It was still dark when I met them and we quietly and prayerfully drove to the hospital.

What do you say to someone in the midst of grief? How was I to handle my own grief and yet be strong for them? Experience with grief doesn't make it any easier. Everyone deals with loss and pain differently.

Over the weekend I re-read a favorite book, A Grace Disguised, by Gerald Sittser. What insight this author has as a result of a personal tragedy:

"Depth of sorrow is the sign of a healthy soul, not a sick soul...It is not something to escape but something to embrace. Jesus said, 'Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.' Sorrow indicates that people who have suffered loss are living authentically in a world of misery, and it espresses the emotional anguish of people who feel pain for themselves and others. Sorrow is noble and gracious. It enlarges the soul until the soul is capable of mourning and rejoicing simultaneously, of feeling the world's pain and hoping for the world's healing at the same time. However painful, sorrow is good for the soul."

I held on to that thought all day today. I wasn't quick to turn from the sorrow our family felt.

My prayer is that as my soul enlarges as I embrace the sorrow, I will be better able to comfort others who mourn.