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Lachrymae Rerum - “The Tears of Things”
There is a
term, lachrymae rerum, meaning the tears of things. To be human is to
understand the tears of things. To be alive is sometimes to lament as in
Lamentations 1:16:
"This is why I weep and my eyes overflow with tears.
No one is near to comfort me, no one to restore my spirit.
My children are destitute because the enemy has prevailed."
This Bible
passage can certainly be interpreted metaphorically. Sometimes we feel that all
has been taken from us; that we overflow with tears; that no one can comfort or
even vaguely understand what we are going through. We often feel that our
darker sides, where the enemy gains his victories has prevailed. Sometimes it is
difficult to believe that God can exchange beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for
mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness as said in Isaiah
61. We can certainly feel, at times, that we are swimming in the ocean of tears
which is life with no hope of redemption or saving grace.
So many
things can cause us grief and tears. Certainly death, but even ordinary everyday
events like moving, weddings, change in jobs, loss of a pet, graduations, broken
dreams, broken homes, bankruptcy, loss of youth, etc. can plunge us into the
tears of things.
So can one
find joy in the midst of grief? Can one acknowledge and rely on God in the midst
of sorrow? Can one, at all bask in God’s glory while experiencing the vastness
of the ocean of the tears of things?
Lorelle and
Diana believe the answer is a definitive “yes.” Through their personal
experiences they have discovered how the God given, God centered life can
regenerate, give new life and energy, can completely restore and make even
better really the life which has been touched by deep loss. No, our wounds never
completely disappear. There’ll be no magic vanishing act here. If we allow
ourselves to love others, we will have the privilege of mourning and knowing the
tears of things. But what Lorelle and Diana discovered is that we don’t need to
drown in the ocean of tears; God’s glory, grace and healing are most manifest in
our despair, weakness and grieving. He sails us over the waters and shows us
that the joy and depth of relationships we have lost never leave us. They are
always there providing us truly the balm of oil, praise and joy for the spirit,
the tears of heaviness. By remembrance of experiences with these losses Diana
and Lorelle want to impart the hope of the Lord for the abundant life with all
its fortunes, good and ill.
Restore our fortunes,
O LORD, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow in tears
will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out
weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs
of joy, carrying sheaves with him.
- Psalm 126:4-6
For
your encouragement, Diana Burg
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Diana Burg
http://www.amourningdevotional.com
Mourning Glory – A Devotional for
Grieving is a book for
helping those struggling through a loss and looking for support and
comfort.
Diana is a writer and author with several
books in print. She writes everything – novels, short
stories, plays, screenplays and poetry. Her passion is
writing Christian books. |
Please feel free
to contact us if you would like to submit an article for our
site. |
 ISBN:0-9716511-6-7
Soft cover, 224 pages |
"Your devotional book, Mourning Glory,
is excellently done, and you can be very proud of your accomplishment. I know it
will be an excellent resource for Christians who are suffering through
bereavement."
Andrea Gambill, Editor
Grief
Digest Magazine
"I so enjoyed laughing and crying reading this
deeply honest and inspirational book. The authors share great wisdom of life’s
sorrows and grief, but remind us through touching experiences and thought
provoking scripture how we are truly blessed.
Mourning Glory truly reveals God’s Glory!
Thank you! Thank you!" - Jayne Hause
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