When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he lay back down and died.

Joseph threw himself on his father, crying and kissing his face. Then Joseph gave orders to embalm his father's body. It took forty days, the normal time for embalming. The Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.

Genesis 49:33 – 50:3

A survey indicates for 65% of us, the death of our fathers affects us more than any other loss in our lives. Men experience a significant re-ordering of our lives when our fathers die. When Jacob died, Joseph experienced a great loss. The period of ceremony, mourning, and burial lasted for more than two months. For most of us, our fathers will die before we do. And we should feel free to grieve our loss, whether our memories are happy or painful. God has promised that one day we will no longer face death, sorrow, or crying. Until then, tears are God’s gift for the cleansing of the soul when we must cope with losing Dad.

In every desert of grief, God has an oasis of grace.

Our Daily Bread – June 16, 2003