Pearl In Sorrow's Hand ♡♡♡

 

             "Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted" - Matt 5: 4

I got linked up with a new hair dresser towards the end of last year. I was excited to know she was only about six minutes away from where I live; and that it will now be the end of my Israelite journey, every time I wanted to get my hair done. The first time I rang her to book an appointment, to my shock she shared that her husband had just died, and that she wasn't taking any bookings at the moment. Yikes, I was so sad for her. It was almost Christmas. She was now planning his funeral arrangements, and would only be back to the grind a few weeks after that. It wasn't the kind of conversation I was expecting on my first attempt of booking an appointment. I sympathized with her, being very careful not to say the wrong things. I remember thinking how grief visits each of us from time to time.

"Grief never ends, But it changes. It's a passage not a place to stay. Grief is not a sign of weakness, nor a lack of faith. It is the price of love" - Anon

So I rang her another time after a few weeks had passed. To my surprise she was back in the grind. I booked an appointment and arrived on the day. I avoided bringing up her late husband. I mean I didn't know her, so figured I'd just see how our conversations went. The silence in the air, you could almost hear a pin drop. Not a word said except for a few things relating to getting my hair done.... "so do you want it this way?" Is it long enough?". I could count the amount of words exchanged. Though I wasn't expecting that it would be a chatty visit, but I wasn't also expecting that it would be very quiet either. I wondered if what felt like awkward silence for hours, had anything to do with her mourning. I respected the silence, both of us hiding behind our masks lol. Or maybe I was just overthinking everything.

"Grief is like the ocean, it comes on in waves, ebbing and flowing. Sometimes the water is calm, and sometimes it is overwhelming. All we can do is to swim" - Vicki Horrison

So on my second visit recently, in fact because I would be staying longer this time, I had planned what I'd do whilst I braid my hair. Catch up on my bible plan, study for my exams and catch up on some book reading I was doing with some friends. Only this time, there was some music playing in the background. It was Christian music, she had left on by herself. A few of them I knew, so I'd hum every now and again. I am not sure if it was because I am weird with "awkward silence" or I was just enjoying the music lol. Whatever the case, I had planned my day, with no expectations to engage.

                                         "Grief shared is Halved, Joy shared is Doubled"

So later on, after a phone chat conversation with a friend of mine, who was interested in getting her hair done. I attempt to arrange a booking for her on a Friday, when the hair dresser let's me know that Friday mornings were not really her most favorite day to work, cause she has this 11am prayer meetings, she leads sometimes. Uhmm, I catch what she says, but waiting to finish up convo with my friend, so that I can process it. But as soon as I drop phone, I hear her inviting me to this prayer meeting and weekly bible group  [what will be her longest sentence apart from anything hair related]. She tells me there were quite a handful of people in it now, just by inviting her clients one after the other. For those that are interested. It was a Friday, so I said "Oh so there is one in 2 mins?" When she let's me know she had decided to cancel it, to accommodate my hair appointment.

 I was like "how long is it usually on for?" [I mean these days, a girl gotta know what she is signing up for right? lol] She goes "about an hour?" I'm like "let's jump on it" . She grabs the phone, before I could say the word "Toronto" lol.  "Believe it or not, we were both on a prayer line for about an hour, simultaneously doing my hair at the same time. It was a really refreshing time of prayer. "What a friend we have in Jesus" ,"What can wash away my sins", "Trust and Obey", "Unto Jesus I surrender". Some of the hymns we sang as well. What were the odds eh!? I couldn't believe how energetic and radiant she was at that prayer meeting. Of course she was mourning, but somehow she was also finding strength and comfort.

      "Whenever sorrow comes, be kind to it. For God has placed a pearl in sorrow's hand - Rumi

You bet after that, we spoke a lot. One conversation led to another. I listened to her, as she told me about how her husband had died. He had stroke for many years. So much pain in thier journey, until he eventually passed. "He is at peace now, no more pain" she said. She had 3 beautiful daughters, that I could tell she adored and loved so dearly. Her eldest is 26.  She was deffo old enough to be my mother. I got to know her a little bit more from our conversation. Then it was back quiet again for the next two hours when it will be time for me to leave. That was her journey. I reflected on mine. I reflected on my own fair share of grief. You may experience it once, you may experience it twice, you may experience it time and time again. Though life can be full of overwhelming Joy and calm sometimes, life can also be full of overwhelming confusing sadness too. I don't think there is anyone that is left out of mourning or grieving at some point in thier life. But here is a sweet sweet promise of hope we can cling to.

                    "Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted" - Matt 5: 4

"He will wipe away every tear from thier eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away" - Rev 21:4

......."there will be no more" indicates that there still remains some degree of mourning, of crying and of pain in this world, until Jesus returns. It's human to grieve, it's not a strange thing at all. Could be grief caused by death of a loved one, loss of a relationship or friendship, betrayal, temporary failures, grieving sin, whatever is, whatever was [insert here anything else]. Whatever it is, right in the middle of your grief, there is comfort for you. Give yourself time. Take heart whatever ails you dear friend. Jesus comforts you

   "The art of life is not controlling what happens to us, but using what happens to us" - Gloria Steinem

      May the Lord comfort you, through whatever it is that is causing your heart to grieve. May He give you strength in ways that no man can. And may you truly find a pearl in sorrow's hand. This is my prayer for you. You who needs it so badly this week. And for you if you ever need it anytime.

Love,

Shay!