DECEMBER 11
Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the
morning.
—PSALM 30How many times have we lain awake at night, our thoughts
weighted with stress, our brains whirring over this or that
problem, and all of it compounded by our frustration at not
being able to do what we should be doing—which is to sleep!
And then in the morning, though we may be tired, things
usually do look better.
To be in profound grief is a much more basic affliction
than a little nocturnal restlessness, but it does seem as though
grief sits more heavily on our hearts when all is still and
dark. A good time to cry. Sometimes an unavoidable time
to cry.
Then the morning comes. And even though the sadness
persists into daylight, perhaps it moderates a bit with the
sight of sunshine, the smell of coffee, some familiar routines
to attend to.
Not to mention the symbolic overtones of night and
morning—that, grim though our sadness is, surely there are
brighter days ahead!
I will welcome the sunshine into my life—for warmth, for illumin-
ation, and as a bearer of hope.