GRIEF AND MOURNING

I learned something new today: grief is not the same as mourning.

Grief is a sudden wave of sadness. To paraphrase C.S. Lewis, you can be walking along, turn the corner, and run smack into it.

Mourning, on the other hand, is like a garment that your soul wears. It’s understated but constantly there. And once in a while, you catch glimpses of it.

Sometimes, I wake up these days and feel blue for seemingly no reason. Since I’m just over a month away from moving from the city I’ve called “home” for my whole 27 years on earth so far, my counselor says my soul is in mourning. And those mornings when I wake up and feel blue, I catch a glimpse of my soul that’s been mourning throughout the night.

My counselor also said that grief and mourning are actually invitations to life. I’m not completely sure what that means, but I know Jesus, who is Life, promised comfort for those who mourn.