Bringing Our Pain Into the Light
“A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.” Ecclesiastes 3:4 NRSV
Series: Cultivating a Heart of Joy
Devotional: 5 of 5
To be human is to be intimately acquainted with heartache and loss.
What does the face of heartache look like for you?
Maybe a friend or family member passed away unexpectedly, leaving a gaping hole in your heart? Perhaps you feel isolated and unloveable due to a longtime relationship failing. Could it be that your story has been marked by economic uncertainty, leading to financial hardship for you and your family? Or maybe still an endless loop of addiction has you feeling stuck and on the verge of spiraling out of control? Whatever the face of heartache looks like for you, please know that you are not alone in your suffering.
What would it look like for you and me to bring our pain into the Light of Christ in order that we might find healing and a renewed sense of joy?
Often, our first step towards healing is to allow Jesus to move us into a season where, under the protection of His presence, we can begin the process of mourning our losses. In this place, the author of Ecclesiastes reminds us that there is "a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance." (See
Ecclesiastes 3:4)
Reflecting on the interplay between mourning and dancing, Henri Nouwen wrote, "Mourning and dancing are part of the same movement of grace. Somehow, in the midst of your tears, a gift of life is given. Somehow, in the midst of your mourning, the first steps of the dance take place. The cries that well up from your losses belong to your song of praise. Those who cannot grieve cannot be joyful. Those who have not been sad cannot be glad. Quite often, right in the midst of your crying, your smile comes through your tears. And while you are mourning, you already are working on the choreography of the dance. Your tears of grief have softened your spirit and opened up the possibility to say thanks. You can claim your unique journey as God's way to mold your heart and bring you joy."
There are no shortcuts to finding healing from our pain and suffering. Often, the road is windy and treacherous, filled with a multitude of starts and stops. Along our journey, there are two companions who can help us as we move from mourning to dancing.
Solitude and community are essential rhythms of life if we are to experience joy even in the face of great suffering.
Contrary to what our feelings might tell us, we are not alone in solitude. Jesus is our faithful companion in the quiet place. Here, we can find refuge in His presence and the assurance that it is safe to allow all of the pain and suffering we have been running from to bubble up to the surface. Together with Jesus, we begin to unpack layer by layer our deepest wounds. In time, under the protection of His patient guiding hand, we will experience freedom as joy begins to grow again in our hearts.
As time passes, the Lord will give us the courage to share our story of healing with our community. As we open up, we must remember that even the most loving community can never care for our fragile hearts in the same way that Jesus can. In community, Jesus often uses the process of sharing our story with others (even just one other person) as a way of connecting our story to His larger story of redemption.
OnThe3rdDay Devotionals
Devotionals that illustrate Biblical principles in a simple and short format that can be applied to your everyday life.
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