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Joy in the Morning ... After the Mourning

"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning."¹

Letters such as the following are par for the course in the work that I do:

"My fiancée called off our wedding. How can I fill the hollow ache inside me?"

"My wife left me for another man. How can I even begin to think about the future?"

"After 30 years together, my husband has died. What meaning is there in life for me now?"

True, it's easy to believe the principle in today's Bible verse when we don't need it! But for heart-broken people it can seem that "joy in the morning" is a far way off.

The reality is that disappointment, heartache, grief, and sorrow come to all of us at some time or another. Sooner or later we are all going to lose an opportunity, our job, our investment portfolio, or a loved one.

And, as the poet said:

"When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
And the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When funds are low and debts are high,
You have to smile but you want to cry."

It takes time to work through and resolve our grief (and we need supporting friends to help us do this). But when we do, we can come out a more understanding and caring person ... and better able to support others who are going through sad times. And, in time, joy in the morning will replace our mourning!

For whatever encouragement it may be, try to remember that no matter how disappointed you are feeling or how much you are hurting right now, know that every heartache and loss has within it the seeds of opportunity. Hidden within each disappointment is a pearl of great price, which, when found, will dwarf your problem. The greatest success stories are written by people who, against seemingly overwhelming and often insurmountable odds, have accepted their trials and turned them into opportunities for personal growth and stepping stones on their pathway to success.

With God's help you and I can do the same. Trust him and choose friends who will empower you to do so.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, in every disappointment, heartache, sorrow, and trial I experience, help me to always keep trusting my life to You and, in the process, will You please make something beautiful out of my life. Please do this for Your glory, and thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus's name, amen."

1. Psalm 30:5 (NKJV).

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