Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5)
Today we remember that Christ died on the cross so that we may enter into the kingdom of God. In the here and now, over 2000 years since Christ sacrificed Himself for me, you, us, we know the 'end' of the story. We know that joy comes in the morning. We know that there is joy to come when He rises from the dead and goes to prepare a place for us in His Father's house. But for the first century disciples, today was the end. There was no joy to come. Jesus was dead. How could this happen? It was the beginning of the darkest days of their lives...but on the third day He rose again. Joy comes in the morning.
I can't help but compare this to my life right now. I am lost and alone. I am suffocating...trying to breathe while I sometimes feel that I have been forsaken...Weeping may endure for a night...I am in the midst of the darkest time of my life right now. I see no hope from the loss of my child. But this I know and in this I rest my faith. I know that God knows the end of my story and He can see it as clearly as we can look back all those centuries and see that joy comes in the morning. He can see the joy that is to come, even to me. Even when I can't see it coming...even when it's all I can do to scrape myself off the kitchen floor and mop up my tears...even when I am so hurt I can barely see in front of me...even when the wound in my heart and soul is so jagged and severe it hurts simply to breathe...even now...He knows that joy comes in the morning...and I don't know how or when that sweet morning will come. But I do know that one day, one fine day, there will be morning.
I actually was thinking about you and Eva this am at the Good Friday service. Comparing the 2 as well...and how much sadness they must have felt when Jesus died! And the JOY that was felt when 2 days later he rose from the dead!
ReplyDeletePraying 4 you ....
Ah Em. I hope this doesn't sound horribly trite (I agonised over my recent post about joy because it is so difficult not to come off as glib) but I do believe that it does come back. That sweet morning. The joy. It isn't as I remember it, it is sharper and it sticks in my flesh and it almost hurts because I understand how soon and how easily it can be ripped away from me. Joy feels like trying to hold a spiky, clawing animal now. But it did come back. Hope I don't sound like a fool so saying so and I know it can be hard to believe when you are in the midst of it.
ReplyDeleteRemembering your precious Eva xo
Dear Catherine W,
DeleteIt doesn't come off as glib. I know some of what you've been through and, coming from you, what sweetness to know you have tasted joy again. I know that one day I will touch joy. I know it will be both sweeter and tarter than it was before. I know the day is coming. Thank you for commenting Catherine W.
Em