Mourning

Parting from one's beloved. The Entombment of Atala 1808
Anne-Louis Girodet de Roussy-Trioson

Most of my readers are aware of my interest in genealogy. One of my 6th great grandmothers was Mourning Lewis, born about 1694 in Henry county, Virginia, married Robert Adams 4 February 1711/12 (the date looks odd because of calendar differences), and passed away in 1764 in Albermarle, Virginia. Why would her parents, William Lewis and Elizabeth Woodson, name a child ‘mourning’? Were they in mourning themselves?

My fourth great grandfather, Joseph Timberlake (1752-1841) and his wife Anne Douglas (1761-1815) named their seventh child Mourning Timberlake.  Were they, too, mourning?

Smelling Coffee posted a blog about Matthew 5:4 that speaks of those who do mourn:

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. (Matthew 5:4 KJV)

We all do mourn.  I mourn the loss of my parents, though Mom has been with our Lord since 1995, Dad since 2000 and time should have lessened mourning – but it hasn’t.  I have, however, been comforted.

I mourn the more recent loss of a dearly loved sister-in-law, also a sister in Christ, at home with the Lord just this fall. I miss them all. I am comforted, not only by the above verse, but by the very presence of our Lord in my life.

If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. (John 14:15-18 KJV)

Did you notice that He never told us NOT to mourn?  He knows we will. There are so many things to be mourned.  In the midst of all, though, we are comforted.

Where do you find the best comfort? 

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. (Romans 15:4 KJV)

When we received comfort from our Lord, we are to pass it along, too, comforting those we find in need:

Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4 KJV)

There are many more verses – look for them and find comfort:

Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 KJV)

Then, look for those you are able to comfort, seeing that as good word and work.