“The young women will dance for joy, and the men—old and young—will join in the celebration. I will turn their mourning into joy. I will comfort them and exchange their sorrow for rejoicing.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭31‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Ok, so I’m not that “young” woman anymore. But this old girl still has some moves!!

Maybe not as lovely or pretty, but I do believe this past year has moved my heart to place with a greater understanding for true love than I’ve ever known. I have come to value that gift more deeply. I believe my capacity for compassion has expanded in ways I never imagined.

I now know loneliness.

I know what it feels like to come home from a wonderful time with people I love and respect and have no one there to greet me with open arms. I know the difference between being alone and being lonely.

Today in my prayer time, God brought to my remembrance this passage from Jeremiah. Truly, I can not remember the last time I thought of it. Maybe now that the generally accepted “one year period of mourning” is over, He is reminding me that I can, and should, move ahead with joy and rejoicing into the next phase of this life.

Only He knows where my next steps into the future will take me. My fervent prayer is that I go there with the dignity and grace and integrity and wisdom that brings Him all the glory. I long to be the woman He created me to be.

The dance from mourning to joy, from sorrow to rejoicing, as offered in this passage, is mine for the taking.

I’m certain that loneliness and being lonely will still exist in my life. I’m not so blind as to believe that suddenly and magically I will cease to mourn losing Ed. He was truly part of me for over 32 years.

But before his life on Earth was over, Ed gave me one last very precious gift to carry in my heart. He gave me permission to allow God to “turn my mourning into joy.”

He said to, “Grieve me, but don’t live there.”

So here I am Lord, I’ll follow you in this new dance. I believe that is where my joy and my rejoicing live.