The Threshing Floor-part 2

It was not my plan to expand on this but it's been put on my heart that this might be important to some who are very important to me.  And I assume God showed me this and placed it on my heart for a reason.
I don't know alot about Bible study but I know that the principle of the "first mention" is pretty important.  It means if you are studying a certain word, topic, name of God, whatever, look first to see the context of the first mention in the Bible.  I think the first mention of the threshing floor is significant. 
"When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, near the Jordan, they lamented loudly and bitterly; and there Joseph observed a seven-day period of mourning for his father."  Genesis 50:9
Here is the context-Joseph was the youngest of Jacob.  His brothers hated him, sold him into slavery, and told Jacob he was dead.  Joseph ultimately prospered and became a major figure in Egypt, his brothers and father came to him during a famine in Canaan (they didn't know it was him), fulfilling a dream Joseph had before.  Joseph welcomed them, forgave them and set them up in Egypt.  Then Jacob, aka Israel dies.  This is where we land.  After Jacob dies, it takes 40 days to embalm and then 70 days for the Egyptians to mourn.  After all that Joseph goes to the Pharaoh and say's "My father wanted be buried in Cananan.  Can I have your permission to bring him there?" (that's my paraphrasing)   The Pharaoh says yes and so a large group sets out for Canaan. 
And here is where we land on verse 9 "When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, near the Jordan, they lamented loudly and bitterly; and there Joseph observed a seven-day period of mourning for his father."
Have you ever felt the need for a good cry but said "I will do that later.  This is not the appropriate place to lose it."  I have.  In my heart I see Joseph, feet heavy, heart heavier, the knowledge of the loss of his father becoming more real the closer he gets to his homeland.  Then he gets home to his "safe place" and he lays down and loses it.  Without apology, he allows himself time to finally mourn this loss.  To grieve.  To lay it all out.  To stop denying that it's ok and he'd be all right. 
When we have a loss, God knows it hurts.  He didn't build us to blindly say "It's God's will and I am ok with that."  He built us with dreams, hopes, desires and emotions.  
But I know that because Joseph wept on that threshing floor, it means that God had a purpose for his grief, his hurt,  his mourning.  I wonder if in that time he didn't just mourn his father's death but also the time he lost from him when he was in Egypt, the betrayal of his brothers, the life in Canaan he lost.  Maybe in that time Joseph drew closer to God, felt his love and tenderness.  Maybe in that time he learned the grace of God and he learned forgiveness. 
I know that later on in the  chapter Joseph's brothers look at each other and say "Great, our father is dead.  What's going to keep him from killing us now?"  (again I paraphrase) So they go before Joseph with a prepared speech and Joseph responds with an often quoted verse "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God?  You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them. (Genesis 50:19)  I wonder if Joseph's heart was prepared for that on the threshing floor.
A time of mourning is the first mention of the threshing floor.  Accept it, receive what God wants you to learn about him and yourself in that time.   Don't rush through it.  Remember, "it doesn't go on forever."