Death has been part of Life ever since
Adam and Eve were expelled from The Garden.
~~ Grief ~~
Essentially, grief is a deep sadness most times caused by someone's death. For some it is a feeling of deep distress caused by the state of being sad because a family member or friend has recently died. For others it causes depression rising from their broken heart.
No one seems to want to talk about death. If folks had a better understanding of life and death, according to our Creator, maybe it would have been a normal topic of conversation started long ago. This lack of knowledge has made talking about death some sort of taboo leaving many satisfied with speculation and religious doctrines - children grow up not knowing any better just as we did. And then the time comes when we face death and know not how to react; emotions rise and take over. Are we feeling guilty because we blame ourselves for what happened or are we selfish and blame God for taking them away? These are emotional reactions that do not help one adjust, accept, grieve and see clearly to continue living life to its fullest.
I pray that those struggling with grief will know: day by day and piece by piece the hole felt within where the heart used to be can and will be filled with the good life and memories our loved ones leave for us, as we let our family and friends be the light along the way; together helping each other stay grounded. Eventually joy will outweigh sorrow and the pain won't be as devastating, as we allow our Creator's Peace to comfort us.
The heart may ache even in laughter
Proverbs 14
We read of a 'time of mourning' in Scriptures:
Genesis 38:12 ~ A long time afterward the wife of Judah died. When his period of mourning was over he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers....
Genesis 27:41 we read that Esau was waiting for the 'days of mourning' for his father to end so he could take revenge on his brother Jacob.
Genesis 50 we read Joseph had the Egyptians embalm his father Jacob and that took 40 days. Then they mourned 'the wailing period' of 30 days.
Numbers 20:29 ~ the whole community knew that Aaron had breathed his last . All the house of Israel bewailed Aaron thirty days.
Deuteronomy 34 after Moses died the Israelites mourned him for 30 days, also called the 'period of wailing and mourning'.
Our Heavenly Father Knows Best
It seems in today's world this lack of public mourning is what causes folks to hide their feelings, letting grief fester inside. No one thinks anyone could possibly know what they are going through so they close off contact with friends and family. Yet, if we were raised according to our Creator's Instructions the period of grief would be a natural process shared by many for the one and not some private nightmare with no end in sight.
If we apply God's Word to our lives then we should learn 30 days is a good and right time for weeping and wailing over the death of a loved one. We spend a healthy amount of time grieving the loss, yet know the time will come when He gathers us once again. This Good News gives us Hope and strengthens our Faith in the One who loves us so much that He gave us His Son who laid down his life for our sake.
1 Thessalonians 4:13 ... you should not (continue to) mourn over them who have fallen asleep (died), like other people who have no hope... :14 For if we believe that Yahshua died and rose again, even those who sleep will the Father, by His Son, bring with him. :15 and this we say to you by the word of Messiah, that we who may survive and be alive at the coming of Messiah, will not precede them who have slept (died before us) :16 Because our Messiah will descend from heaven with a mandate and with the voice of the chief Messenger and with the trumpet of Yahweh; and the dead who are in Messiah will rise first and then we who survive and are alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet our Messiah. And so comfort yourselves one another with these words
