Blessed are those who mourn

The second Beatitude blesses those who mourn or are in mourning.  Mourning is usually described as a deep sorrow that a person experiences, specifically when someone they love or have loved has died.   This Beatitude means a lot to me right now.  If some of you have been following my blog, you know that I have lost my grandpa and my dog these last couple of months.  I have never felt the pain that I did when I received both those pieces of news.  Both of those experiences brought me down to my knees in tears and even though it is not as raw as it was a few months ago, I am still in mourning over those losses.  

This verse therefore means a lot to me that even though we are in mourning right now, we will be comforted for that mourning.  I know that personally God is comforting me right now.  I have felt his spirit around me as I have been in this mourning.  But I also know that I will be comforted even more after I have met back with the Lord.  This Beatitude or blessing is all about how we will be comforted for our pain. There are many times where people can often feel ashamed because of their pain or therefore mourning.  It is often considered to be so weak and something that someone should hide.  I know that there are some moments or days when it is really hard because I miss my grandpa and my dog, but I don’t know if I should tell anyone as I will be seen as weak for being too upset or emotional.   Therefore, we as people make it seem as though it is only good to be strong and not have raw emotions or intense feelings.  This Beatitude should serve as a reminder that living with emotions, even sad one is not an all around negative thing.  

However, mourning in this case is not just about those who are mourning the loss of a loved one.  This blessing also speaks to those who mourn for the injustices and the hurt that many other people in the world experience.  A Christian should not just be concerned about their own lives.   The verse of Colossians 3:12 says, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Everyone at some point in their lives is going to experience intense pain and a burden, so it is best that other Christians help make those times as easy as they can be for other people.  I know that it meant so much to me when people let me know they were praying for me during my times of struggle.  It meant the world to me when people showed up to my grandpa’s visitation to be there for me.  It meant everything when I received little cards or gifts the weeks following.  This is how we can as Christians carry each other’s burdens and make each person’s burden lighter.  

Again this being overly sensitive and therefore empathetic to other’s problems is not always something that is praised in this world, but it is a characteristic that God is often looking for in his people.  We are often taught in this world to achieve whatever we need to achieve for ourselves and that is it.  We are taught to work hard for our own happiness and not necessarily worry about others.  However, the Christian way is completely different.  We are supposed to care about those in this world.  The Lord often reminds us that we as a Christian are a part of the body of Christ, and when one part of the body is in pain, the rest of the body is in pain.  Therefore we must work together to alleviate that pain.  

Don’t think that this means we are supposed to be sad all the time.  We are not supposed to necessarily be mopey and sad people.  There is also always a time to rejoice.  In Ephesians 4:32 it says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.”  We can be filled with joy when others are filled with joy.  These verses and the Beatitude is just a reminder that we are to keep other’s thoughts and feelings often in our hearts, minds, and absolutely our prayers.  We as people and especially Christians do not live on an island, but we live in the world with others, and therefore as a people we need to make sure others in this world are well taken care of.  

This blog post was in many ways very therapeutic for me to write as have all blog posts been that have been about the loved ones that I have recently lost.  This was a great blog post for me to write as I and many others in my family members are struggling through mourning.  This was a good reminder for me that I will continue to be comforted by God.  This also serves as a good reminder that I need to be there for everyone who is in mourning, like many people have been there for me.  I leave you with both a challenge and a reminder.  The same reminder is that God loves you and he wants to comfort you through any pain that you are currently experiencing.  Then my challenge is for you to reach out to your neighbor who is struggling through some kind of mourning or pain.  Remember that they may need you during this time.