A Time to Mourn and a Time to Dance
Open Your Bible
Matthew 5:4, Ecclesiastes 3:1-15, John 16:33, John 16:20, Psalm 30:1-12, 1 Peter 1:6-9
BY Raechel Myers
God created us as complex creatures, capable of feeling and sensing a whole garden of emotions. Made in the image of our Creator, we can both grieve the wrongs of this world, and celebrate the sweetness of this life. This 2-week reading plan will lead us through a series of passages from Scripture that examine the seasons of mourning and dancing in the life of a believer. In the written responses here on the site, our writers will enter into this tension, articulating their personal experiences with grief and joy in hopes of freeing you to explore your own. By immersing our hearts and minds in God’s Word, and honestly presenting our laments to Him, may we remember that God is present with us, He is good, and He is faithful.
On the day our daughter died, I planted flowers.
It was April in Tennessee, and the reality that my child was hanging in a precarious balance between life and death, in part because my womb was acting as her life support, was never far from my mind. That Monday morning, I kissed my husband and weekend guests out the door, then helped my toddler son get dressed and fed him yogurt and Cheerios for breakfast.
Even while death was happening, so was life.
That Monday morning, we blew bubbles. We played on the swing set. I read a book on the back porch, and we snacked on strawberries. When my toddler was fast asleep in his crib, I slipped my hands into a pair of old gardening gloves, knelt in the dirt, and got to work with my spade. Bent over my pregnant belly, hands in the soil, the evidence of life kicked and turned within me. The gravity of the moment was lost on me at the time, but I see it now.
Planting.
Acting on hope.
Believing promises.
Burying seeds in the darkness.
Knowing a thing can only produce something beautiful if it dies first (John 12:24). Ecclesiastes 3 tells us there is a time for every matter under heaven.
A time to be born, and a time to die.
A time to plant, and a time to uproot.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh.
A time to mourn, and a time to dance.
For our precious daughter, that Monday afternoon in April was a time to die. For us, it was a time to mourn. But it was also a time to actively hope in promises that life comes from death. It was a time to dance because our child was in the presence of her Savior.
That day, not knowing what the night would hold, the Lord led me through the motions of actively hoping and believing that death brings life. An object lesson of the resurrection in my soil-covered hands, I could not have known these would be some of the last turns and kicks I’d ever feel. And so, I planted.
Life and death are not respecters of each other. Mourning and dancing—they don’t always take turns. Not in my story, not in yours, not in our world. While people celebrate weddings and first steps and the sweetness of life, the broken world continues to break our hearts, sometimes at the very same time. The tension is there—wondering when to celebrate and when to cry. Often the best thing we can do is acknowledge that tension and do both, seeking the Lord as we navigate the complexities of this world.
We must never stop mourning brokenness. It is right to mourn. And we must never cease to celebrate life and beauty. It is right to dance. Because of Christ, life comes from death. Because of Christ, we will dance again.
“Truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice.
You will become sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy” (John 16:20).
1,031 thoughts on "A Time to Mourn and a Time to Dance"
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I lost my grandma going on 5 years ago. She was my best friend. I was with her when she passed in a very heart wrenching scene. I’ve never fully processed it to the point to giving it to God. I am going to work through these emotions during this next two weeks. I know it is going to be a life long process though.
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I lost my grandparents when I was a young woman like you. With time God truly does turn the mourning into dancing. He replaces the pain of loss with wonderfully sweet memories and a deep gratitude that I was blessed to have such wonderful people in my life. I don’t feel sadness when I think of them, I feel joy and know that I will see them again. I prayed that this transition will happen soon for you before I posted this.
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I love God’s perfect timing and how starting this study came at just the right time. I mourn for all the lives lost during this pandemic. The jobs lost. The social distancing and not getting to see family, friends, fellow church members. But I rejoice as well. God has given us time to reflect on what’s important, to draw near to Him and pour out our hearts. This time has made me grateful for so much. My job—both the ability to work from home and gracious compensation from my company. My apartment. My roommate. Modern technology that allows us to connect with so many loved ones from afar. “Sorrowful, yet rejoicing.”
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This is exactly what I’ve been needing to read. Thank you for sharing this with us, and I’m already excited to continue this reading plan tomorrow.
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I originally bought this study years ago to approach my grief with losing my dad suddenly. I have yet to work through it. I come this morning also mourning my marriage that seems inevitable to fail again (we were married once before, divorced, and reconciled… only to be here again). I am weary and broken and desperate for peace and healing.
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I’m walking a path very similar. My marriage is over and I am lost and wondering when the mourning will turn to dancing. Praying for strength for you, Rachel. He will hold us up and walk with us through this time.
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Today, in the midst of what we thought was a routine hospital stay for low blood counts, my husband’s oncologist told us that our last possible chemotherapy treatment had failed and that my husband (at 23 years old) is effectively chemo resistant with no options for surgery or radiation. We are completely broken, but in the midst of it all, I keep returning to how loving and faithful God is and how no matter the outcome he will see us through. I keep thanking God for sharing my husband with us and asking him to move mountains if his time with us is not up yet. Today, was a earth shattering day. But I was also in awe of the amazing hospital staff God brought into our lives who have cared for and loved us countless times over the past 2 years. 8 nurses came by our room to give us hugs and tell us how much they love us and that they are praying for us. Through this experience God has given me a taste of the bittersweet joy that you can encounter in the midst of tragedy. So today we grieve, but tomorrow, we will pick ourselves back up again, continue to praise God for all he does for us, and continue to believe in faith for another day. Came to SRT today to bolster my faith, and stumbled across this study, which is right where I’m at.
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Can’t imagine what you are going through. But I know our Lord is holding you and mourning with you. May you be overwhelmed by his light in this darkness and his love in your deepest brokenness. May he fill you with the hope and knowledge that eternity awaits us all.
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So good. We must never cease mourning brokenness but also never cease celebrating beauty. I needed this in my season
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I am mourning my marriage. It’s not over but after 13 years and many trials ..it’s in the trenches & were having to work hard right now to get it back. With 3 babes, life seems heavy, so I am mourning the happiness in my home. Praying to find peace with this Devo while my heart and marriage is healing
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