Bittersweet

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Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Finish this proverb: “An anxious heart weighs a man down, but ____________________________________.” (Proverbs 12)
Proverbs 12:25 25 An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.

And here's the question of the day:
Who is being sent to fill the church in Colossae in about the news of Paul’s life? (Colossians 4)


And here's the reflection of the day:
Proverbs 14:13 13 Even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end in grief.

Thanks to www.dictionary.com for the following definition of "proverb:"
prov⋅erb /ˈprɒvərb/ [prov-erb] –noun
1. a short popular saying, usually of unknown and ancient origin, that expresses effectively some commonplace truth or useful thought; adage; saw.
2. a wise saying or precept; a didactic sentence.
3. a person or thing that is commonly regarded as an embodiment or representation of some quality; byword.
4. Bible. a profound saying, maxim, or oracular utterance requiring interpretation.

For a while, Proverbs was my favorite book of the Bible. Every page seems to hold some truism that I saw played out in my day to day life.

And that is a proverb, a cliche--something that "expresses effectively some commonplace truth or useful thought. My study Bible's introduction to "Proverbs" includes this: "The Hebrew word translated "proverb" is also translated "taunt" (Isa 14:4), "oracle" (Nu 23:7,18) and "parable" (Eze 17:2); so its meaning is considerably broader than the English term." (NIV)

So proverbs seem to cover a range of emotions--taunting to teaching. The verse I listed above addresses a common situation--the bittersweet moments of life. Sometimes those times so filled joy end in grief. Even in the midst of laughter, the heart can still ache. Bittersweet.

I saw that this week as I spent time with a family helping them to plan the funeral for their father/grandfather. As they told me stories of their loved one's life, there was much laughter but there were also tears mixed in. There was the joy of knowing that his pain was over, but in the room was also the ache left because of his absence. It was, in a word, bittersweet.

I'm not sure exactly why I picked that particular proverb to reflect on today. I don't have anything profound to add about what this proverb "really means." I think it's self-evident.
I guess I picked it because, as I presided over that funeral this week, I lived that proverb. And now it is a part of me.