Biblically, I understand this to mean Ezekiel was acting out through his own heartbreaking loss, the inner pain about to be felt by the exiles in Babylon upon hearing of Jerusalem's destruction, as well as the slaughter of their loved ones left there; and that as exiles in Babylon, they could not mourn adequately. BUT.....Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep, nor shall your tears run down. Sigh, but not aloud; make no mourning for the dead. ...So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died. And on the next morning I did as I was commanded.
that first sentence TOOK MY BREATH AWAY! It was as if God was speaking personally to me. Not that I didn't mourn and weep over Jim's 'departure' (I won't call it death because I know he is more fully alive now than he ever was), and at times still do mourn over the missing of "the delight of my eyes," but it is getting more infrequent and the spans shorter. Reading this tonight was as if God was reminding me, "I'm taking (have taken) Jim away but there is no time for you to jump into a never-ending pity party because I have much more for you to do."
And on the following morning after Jim's departure, and every morning thereafter, "I [do] as I am commanded"...I get up and FUNCTION, using every opportunity to proclaim the love and faith of my Lord. Yes, the "delight of my eyes" is gone from my view, but it has been replaced by the 'delight of my heart and soul,' who holds this widow up and loves me, and gives me His peace, and knows the exact numbers of hairs on my head every morning. Praise the Lord O my soul; with all my inmost being I praise Your holy name.