Our focus today is on Daniel 10:1-4. Please review these verses and document every reference they make to time.
“‘3rd year of Cyrus’ (1); ‘At that time’ (2); ‘mourned for 3 weeks’ (2); ‘3 weeks were over’ (3); ‘the 24th day of the first month’ (4)”
Daniel 10:1 tells us ‘a revelation was given to Daniel in the “third” year of Cyrus king of Persia.’
Can you think of a time when God chose ‘elsewhere’ over home to reveal something life altering to you? If so, share it.
“At the moment, I can’t even think of any life-altering revelations He has given me. (Maybe when I read Randy’s love letter, but I was on my own bed.)”
Imagine being Daniel. Picture watching the exiles depart while you remained behind. What kinds of things do you think Daniel felt?
“happiness for them, sadness, and disappointment for himself, a strong yearning to go too.”
The timing for the visit in Daniel 10:4 is significant. See Leviticus 23:4-7…
what was commemorated on the 14th day? “The Lord’s Passover”
what feast was celebrated for the next seven days? “Unleavened Bread”
You may have experienced something similar. If so, express some of the feelings your own ‘anniversary’ stirs:
“At present, I am blessed not to have one, though I probably will grieve over Sir Silk again this coming July 25 and 26. For several years December 19 brought tears over Canny.”
Surely Proverbs 13:12a captures the state of Daniel’s heart at this moment. What does it tell us hope deferred does? “makes the heart sick”
Dearest Rachel –
As I’ve never been much of an animal person myself, I can’t necessarily grasp the grief you felt over the loss of various dogs in your life. The only reason I recall that September 29 was the day I sent Chompers to you was because I wrote about it to you at the time; subsequent September 29ths would go without notice or comment (interesting that the fourth anniversary of his passing is swiftly approaching, and until this moment, the only thing of interest about the day was that the appliance store was finally going to be coming over to fix the freezer issue that developed while I was down in Honduras. Ironically, the thing hasn’t been acting up since I’ve returned, but with the unit under warranty, I might as well get the suspect part replaced in any event). The idea of mourning a pet on the anniversary of its passing is somewhat alien to me, I’m afraid.
That being said, it’s odd that you mentioned Canny (who passed while you were still a child, so, not that surprising) and Sir Silk (who was your parents’ long after you grew up and moved out), but not Rufus, who was at your side throughout your high school and college years (and was a gentle, if grumpy, old man to infant Daniel, especially during those summer trips to the island in his earliest years). I suppose since you weren’t there when he was put to sleep, the date escaped you, but I would have assumed that the same applied to Sir Silk – or were you there, tending to your folks, at the time, and thus required to experience the moment? I wasn’t part of those regular trips you made to them, so I can’t recall – and you’re not here to refresh my memory.
That having been said, the fact that you would feel such a pain in your heart on the anniversary of the loss of a pet – whether yours or your parents’ – I suppose it’s for the best that you hadn’t had to experience what I went through on that January 23rd, and every one thereafter. If a pet’s death could affect you, the loss of a spouse might break you.
Then again, you always struck me as being made of stronger stuff than you appear – you certainly seemed to be able to hold yourself together through the funerals of both your parents, even bearing in mind your longstanding concerns about the state of their faith. Or maybe that was part of it; you had done what you could for them, but at that moment, there was no more you could do for them, and the weight taken from your shoulders offset the grief of loss somehow. But this is purely conjecture on my part; you might, if you were here, agree or disagree with this assessment, but as you aren’t I’ve no other conclusion but my own.
In any event, the fact that you speak of not being able to think of receiving any life-altering revelations (whether from God or man; given your example, it’s not clear as to the real source) apart from my letter to you – which, you must know, was as much a case of getting things off my chest before letting you go forever; I didn’t expect you to react with such favor to it – just adds to the thought that it was best that I be the one to deal with these mournful anniversaries going forward.
On a more universal note, the last question probably explains a thought I was discussing with you just last week, about those that observe such annual days of mourning. While we have this hope of reunion in the proverbial “sweet by and by,” each year that goes by while we’re stuck down here is another year of deferment of that hope, making the heart of the one left behind that much sicker over time. There are things that can fill it to a certain extent, but only so much so (although in this case, the hole isn’t the “God-shaped” one of Pascal’s theorizing, so maybe it can be completely filled by various new and additional things. Then again, nothing’s shaped quite the same, though, so nothing will be a perfect fit). Until we see each other again, I have to deal with this.
So, if you could see your way clear to make your presence felt, that would be well and truly appreciated, honey. And wish me luck; I’m going to need it.
Letters to Rachel 