Joy comes in the Mourning
By: Peri Gilbert-Reed
When silence is broken with tears, when whole hearts are shattered to pieces, when joy turns into mourning, it feels as though our lives stop. We cannot see past the pain. We cannot register the world around us. But inasmuch as our pain can rob us of the life we once knew, we can still find joy in the mourning.
This is not an easy time of year for so many. The Christmas carols sound like clanging symbols; the twinkling lights shine light on pain; the presents are reminders of who is not present, broken relationships, or empty promises. And when it is not this time of year, that same pain is still here, but in a different form. All of it remains on our minds, no matter what time of year it is. It is hard to face a future without the one’s we love, without knowing if the one’s we love will overcome the sickness in their bodies, without knowing if we will overcome our own adversity. But even in all the chaos of the pain, there can be joy in the mourning.
The Psalmist writes, “…weeping may last for a night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5, NAS). Now, if you are like me, my first thought is, “Heck! I wish it was just for a night!” And the Psalmist endured that as well. David was no stranger to pain. While some of the pain he endured was due to his own hand, some was not. He endured betrayal by those closest to him, physical attacks, loss of a child, ousted from his homeland, and more. There were many reasons for joy to be out David’s reach. There may be many reasons, or just one, for you as well. And while David claims that joy can be found in the morning, I do believe joy can also be found in the mourning.
It is hard to even consider joy when burying a loved one, saying goodbye to a relationship, acknowledging a lost dream/hope/idea. But it is often in these rawest of moments that joy can surface. It is in some of the darkest moments that we sense God is “…near to the brokenhearted….and revives him in his pain” (Psalm 34:18, The Voice). It is when we are worried, confused, angry, sad, scared, that we are “…comforted and made happy” (Psalm 94:19, NCV). While there is a time for weeping there is also a time to laugh, while there is a time for mourning, there is a time for joy (Ecclesiastes 3:4, NIV). It is in the mourning that we sometimes have the opportunity to experience joy of who the person was that has been lost to us; joy of what we learned and how we grew from our time with a loved one who has passed; joy in how memories of the good times in a relationship or ultimate dream job that is no longer. And while there may be only glimpses of joy in the midst of the mourning right now, there will be a day there will be only glimpses of mourning in the midst of the joy.
Wherever you are in your mourning today, know that it is okay to be there. Know that the pain you feel is real and no one else gets to dictate how much you should feel it, when you should feel, nor how long you should feel it. This is your journey, and no one can take that from you. But, I do hope that like David, you will have moments of feeling joy in mourning. That you will know that God is fighting for you (Exodus 14:14)!
Rescue
By: Lauren Daigle
You are not hidden
There's never been a moment
You were forgotten
You are not hopeless
Though you have been broken
Your innocence stolen
I hear you whisper underneath your breath
I hear your SOS, your SOS
I will send out an army to find you
In the middle of the darkest night
It's true, I will rescue you
There is no distance
That cannot be covered
Over and over
You're not defenseless
I'll be your shelter
I'll be your armor
I hear you whisper underneath your breath
I hear your SOS, your SOS
I will send out an army to find you
In the middle of the darkest night
It's true, I will rescue you
I will never stop marching to reach you
In the middle of the hardest fight
It's true, I will rescue you
I hear the whisper underneath your breath
I hear you whisper, you have nothing left
I will send out an army to find you
In the middle of the darkest night
It's true, I will rescue you
I will never stop marching to reach you
In the middle of the hardest fight
It's true, I will rescue you
Oh, I will rescue you