One of the worst things anyone can experience is the death of a loved one, and when it occurs, a state of mourning ensues since someone we value has been taken from us, creating a state of grieving deeply. While the act of mourning might be painful, I've learned in my journey of trying to be a good Christian woman that it's capable of bringing our hearts into line with that of the heart of our Lord, for according to MATTHEW 5:4 [NKJV]: "Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted."

Mourning is not supposed to be perpetual, and we're reminded of this in ECCLESIASTES 3:1-8 [NKJV]:

[1] To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:
[2] A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;
[3] A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up;
[4] A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance;
[5] A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
[6] A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away;
[7] A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;
[8] A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.

As a Christian woman, I've found that when a loved one of a Christian dies, we have our own unique way of mourning, unlike the rest of the world, since we possess an everlasting hope of what is to come that they don't possess. According to Scripture, we're reminded in 1 THESSALONIANS 4:13 that death isn't the end since we're in Christ and that grieving is only a passing situation. As Christians, we realize that while our mourning isn't a pleasant situation, it's still a part of our existence; for with the relationship we have with the Lord, we know what we're told in REVELATION 7:17 [NKJV]:
"For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

The author, John Flavel, who lived from 1628-1691, wrote the following about mourning, which is part of the description for this book:

"To be above feelings and emotions is a condition equal to the angels and to be in a state of sorrow without the sense of sorrow is a disposition beneath the beasts. But to correctly regulate our sorrows and bind our passions under suffering is a Christian's wisdom, duty, and excellency.

Even though you and your afflictions had a sad meeting, I desire that you and they may have a comfortable parting. If your afflictions do the work in your hearts that God sent them for, I have no doubt you will give them a fair testimony when they leave. What you endured with fear, you will dismiss with praise. How sweet it is when God is losing his hands to hear the afflicted soul say, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted!"

While this book was written about 350 years ago, it is still a viable source of encouragement for any Christian going through their mourning period, which is why, as a voracious reviewer of nonfiction Christian books, I've given this book 5 STARS for its timeliness. ( )

I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I admit I didn't recognize the author, and I almost planned to write that the book seemed written for academics and had a tone that held the reader distant from the subject matter. It wasn't until I came online planning to write a review that I realized the book was not a modern-day nonfiction. In my mind, that accounted for the difference in the tone of the book, so I gave it a second chance.

The basic idea is that it is okay to mourn but we shouldn't wallow in our sorrow--either letting that sorrow go on indefinitely or allowing it to drag us down to the point that it is our entire life. That said, I do think mourning takes a varying amount of time depending on the person and the relationship, but as long as one is moving toward healing/wholeness then he/she is probably on the right track.

I think I found the last chapter more helpful than some of the earlier chapters. ( )