Day 5: God Wants the Mic Back.

Have you ever suffered through a funeral speech that ran 10 times longer than it was supposed to? I know I have. What is it about microphones that cause people to completely lose track of time?

Your long-winded uncle isn’t the only one guilty of hijacking funerals. We often do the same when it comes to our death experiences. We mourn them, remember them, lament them — but we don’t pay attention to the timing. We get stuck in grieving mode and refuse to move on.

Sooner or later, God wants the mic back.

The funeral needs to keep moving. So, he gently nudges us to let us know we’re holding up the grieving process. He encourages us to let go and move forward. The burial needs to happen, but it can’t if we insist on reliving the loss forever.

In Psalm 23, David famously wrote, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” Notice David talked about walking through the valley. Valleys of death and darkness are not meant to be long-term homes. They are meant to be traveled through, not inhabited permanently. That journey might take a while, but there should be progress.

I’m not trying to tell you how to grieve, but I am telling you to remember you are still in the land of the living even when you’re mourning the dead. A wide, beautiful world awaits, and you are an integral part of the world. Don’t stand there clutching the mic for too long or you’ll miss out on all that God has for you. You can end up making your loss the focus on your existence, rather than a waypoint on the journey.

I would be the last one to tell you exactly when your grief needs to transition to burial. That’s between you and God.

So, ask yourself if God might be giving you a gentle nudge to hand him the microphone. Is he telling you that seasons are changing, that it’s time to wind down the memorial speech and transition into the future? If not, take your time grieving.

But if so, let his grace lead you forward.