Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. (Matt. 5:4)
JAMES COMBED THROUGH HIS CLOSET. He couldn’t find anything acceptable to wear. He didn’t own a black suit. He didn’t own a black tie. It had been years since he had even gone inside a church. He could hear his wife pacing outside their bedroom, her heels clicking on the floor. He sunk down on their bed with his head in his hands. James didn’t want to be late to the funeral of his best friend, but his heart had never felt so heavy before.
James wasn’t one to cry but found himself unable to stop the tears flooding from his eyes. There on their bed, James wept again. His wife creaked open the door and, without saying a word, slid beside him. She wrapped one arm around him and with the other held his hand. For the first time since the death of his friend, James felt a sense of genuine comfort and melted into the arms of his wife.
It can be difficult to understand how to feel blessed in the midst of mourning or even have the expectation of ever being blessed. However, God understands our condition and identifies with our hopelessness. James was able to find comfort in his wife after becoming vulnerable. If we demonstrate vulnerable trust in Christ, we will one day be comforted.
Let God hold and comfort you in the midst of grieving.
Amy Knepp is a graduate of Indiana Wesleyan University and a stay-at-home mother of four children.
© 2017 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission.
