Proverbs 14:13
The expression of one emotion does not mean
that other, even seemingly contradictory emotion, does not exist. Our emotions
are very transient. They can change in a moment. But a change from one emotion
to another does not mean that there is a permanent shift away from the first to
the second. Emotion can be like the waves on a beach, ever shifting and retreating.
I see this shifting most frequently at a
funeral and the moments around the funeral. Those who knew the person who died
will laugh as they remember some funny incident from their life. To an outsider
laughter and grief don’t seem to go hand in hand. And yet, they do seem to go
together.
When I was very young I remember my maternal
grandmother making lollipops from scratch. She had the metal molds that were
carefully washed, oiled and put together with rubber bands. Then all the
ingredients were carefully measure and combined. Anticipation began to fill the
air.
The pan of ingredients would be placed on
the stove and carefully monitored for temperature and time. The thermometer was
always right at hand. The temperature had to be just right or the pops would
not be hard.
I remember staring into the post and
watching the bubbles rise to the surface, create a bubble and then slowly pop.
I couldn’t predict the size of the bubble or the exact moment of it breaking.
And this part of the process meant that the ingredients were ready for pouring
into the molds.
The unpredictable nature of the bubbles
reminds me of emotions. They seem to rise to the surface driven by an unseen
force. There is no controlling them. The size is unpredictable and the moment
of expression is sudden. We can see that they are coming, but we don’t always
know when they will be expressed and exactly what will be expressed.
So next time you see emotion rising be ready
for joy and sorrow. They are often present at the same time in our lives.