One of the things we’ve started doing at my church is sending out a daily devotional written by a variety of staff and members. Earlier this week, I wrote the following and thought I would share it here as well.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” – Matthew 5:4
I was a bit of a rambunctious child. As I grew up, I grew out of it, but one lady would always remind me of the trouble I would get into. She watched me when I was little (before starting school), and I affectionately have referred to her as Nanny ever since. Her health slowly started fading over the past few years, and a few weeks ago she passed away.
I’ve spent a considerable amount of time pondering her loss. I know she’s excited to be in God’s presence, but that certainly doesn’t soften the sadness on my end. And I think my sadness is okay.
In this verse, Jesus calls those who mourn “blessed”. I think learning to mourn is part of what makes us who we are. But our focus is not on the mourning, but on the comfort we find.
What are you mourning in this season? Maybe you have lost a loved one. Maybe you’re mourning missed opportunities. Maybe you’re mourning a loss of stability. Maybe you’re mourning something secret. My prayer for you, and for me, is we continue to find comfort and rest in Christ. We, as your church family, mourn with you, but we also hold to the promise of comfort. We are looking forward to taking steps to come back together where we can mourn and experience comfort together!