Daily Devotion - Monday, February 13

Exploring Feelings
Faith Reflections on emotions we experience

“You have changed my sadness into a joyful dance!”
--A line from an ancient Hebrew hymn (30:11)

I just love this line. It tells me that sad and glad are never far apart. We tend to think that a person cannot experience them at the same time. I think you can! Often I spend some very precious moments with families who experience their last moments with another family member. Let me tell you about one of those family experiences that helped me understand that sad and glad are like “heads and tails on a coin.”

Gathered in a room they stood. A woman who had graced this world with her presence for 80 plus years was no longer breathing.

There was sadness. A woman who had graced this world with her presence for 80 plus years was no longer breathing. We cried and told a story or two.

There was gladness. A woman who had graced this world with her presence for 80 plus years was no longer breathing. We smiled and told a story or two.

Both feelings were dancing inside of the family members and they kept “flipping the coin” between sad and glad.

We paused in silence, we prayed, we expressed sad and glad. So, I’d like to submit today that whenever you are glad, make sure you explore the sad side of the coin. AND, whenever you are sad, make sure you look on the glad side. Seems to me it is a pretty good way to journey through life. Have a great week.

--Ben Keckler
02.13.12