You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy. Psalm 30:11
There comes a point when the mourning is over. Tears are more controlled. Anger subsides. Laughter comes without guilt. The mourning clothes are stored away.
With any loss there is grief. When the grief ends, life begins.
A friend of mine has died. His death has been the toughest challenge of my life. He was closer to me than a brother. Every step along the way, he took with me. Every word I spoke, he heard. Every dream I had, he shared. There is nothing that he didn't know about me. I have been grieving his loss. I have tried to deny he is gone, but through the acceptance of his death, I can truly begin to live.
The one who has died is me - the old me, the man who tried to woo the love of the world - the one who, deep down, believed he was unlovable.
He is no longer. Now, I am free.
Father, what has happened to me? For so many years I tried to breathe life into a dead man, but only You can give life. For so many years I mourned - not knowing exactly why, but the mourning is over. It is time to put away the sackcloth. It is time to clothe myself with joy. It is time to dance.
Would You care to dance with me?