Joy in the Morning

This week's readings are redundant in their portrayal of God's compassion for those who are suffering. Cries for God's touch will not be ignored, and God's hand always draws us from mourning and moves us to joy. But how long does that take?

Consider Psalm 30

I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up, and did not let my foes rejoice over me.
O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.
O LORD, you brought up my soul from Sheol, restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.

Sing praises to the LORD, O you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

As for me, I said in my prosperity, "I shall never be moved."

By your favor, O LORD, you had established me as a strong mountain; you hid your face; I was dismayed. To you, O LORD, I cried, and to the LORD I made supplication:
"What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness?
Hear, O LORD, and be gracious to me! O LORD, be my helper!"

You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever.

Some periods of darkness last ... It may seem that there is no hope for an end to our suffering. We weep during times when loss, actual or anticipated, occupies our minds. We are held hostage by our preoccupation with all forms of death. We may be facing mortality... our own, or that of a loved one. Or it may be the death of our hopes, our plans, our expectations of ourselves or others.

Still, the stories of people who have experienced God's touch during their times of sorrow proclaim that we can anticipate movement from dark into light, from mourning to joy. It isn't about luck...it isn't about white knuckling our way through a bad situation and eventually beating the odds, then wiping our brow and saying "Whew...glad I made it through that one!"

No... We are called from the night of weeping into the song of the morning. Joy.... a reverberating song of joy, based in our understanding that God is the source of healing. Darkness and death will never endure in God's presence. It may seem that our night of weeping is endless...but light is approaching! And when new life begins to flutter our faith holds up the emerging hope and our parched tongues will sing out our gratitude for God's power which is always has the last say.

Are you mourning? Bring your weeping to God...don't try to handle it yourself.

Have you been healed in some way? Rejoice! Proclaim the joy of gratitude to God! Somebody who is suffering may be served and guided by your song.