Hi Marilyn....I had to let you know how great your post was to Mike W.  There was so much great information there, and it reminded me of how you were before you began the days of your grief. The barley harvest, including the counting of the Omer, leads to Ascension day, which is represented in Acts 1:11 which was 10 days before Pentecost.  You are so right about the things in your posting today!  The story of Ruth and Boaz is the story of the "bride"...and it is all about the barley harvest.  The barley is winnowed by throwing it into the air....but the wheat harvest, which follows the barley harvest, must go through the "tribulum" in preparation.  I even tried counting the omer last year, but I'm not very good at rituals...

Here is a great link of more details on this:

http://www.! loafofbarley.com/clue6ruthboaz.htm

I sympathize with your grief, Marilyn.  But sometimes just having that grief is such a blessing because you have wonderful, treasured memories to look back on.  I say this because I was not so blessed.  I endured 20 years of nearly daily tears....and none of the beautiful remembrances that you have.  On the day my husband died, I got down on my knees and thanked God for giving me my freedom.  I should have run, not walked, and spared my children of much grief as well.  They left as soon as they were of age, but they tried to spare me details of things I should have known many years before.  Being with me tends to remind them of those days, so they moved far away.  They should have told me, but they didn't.  I found out many years later what was done.  Since then, I realize the importance of the truth in all things.....but the blessing for me is that I have had so much time a! lone to study the things of the Lord.  Today, I have few regrets....Romans 8:28...and we all know that one by heart, I hope.

This information is not meant to induce sympathy for me.  I am a very contented woman today, and I feel I have "paid my dues" in this lifetime.  I just wanted anyone reading this post to not endure a bad relationship no matter what the reason.  And I also wanted you to know there are worse things than grief over losing one you love.  I would much rather have the wonderful memories that you have, with the grief,  than to be more content with being alone.  Sometimes in life, there are things worse than death......

Agape love,

Arlene