Yes – you read that spelling correctly. I actually meant to say “mourning”, and not “morning.” Might sound weird at first right? But hang in there with me – what if it is not weird at all?
What if I told you that it would be possible for us to experience joy even in the deepest parts of our emotional pain? What if I told you that when we are grieving the loss of a loved one, when we feel plagued by anxiety or depression, when we have been hurt by someone we love (just to name a few) – that we CAN also experience joy, even in the midst of our pain?
What if I told you that when we experience pain in our body, we can still have something to smile about? What if I told you that we can still have hope in the deepest part of our soul, even when we feel like we are going to fall apart: physically, mentally, or emotionally? What if there really can be joy, even in our mourning?
Could it be, that when we are plagued by how others have hurt us, our own past regrets, experiencing unbelievable amounts of pain in our body, or just went through an inexplicably horrific and unexpected tragedy, we can STILL experience joy on the other side of our pain?
The joy I am referring to here is this: it is the joy we have in knowing that ALL of the pain we experience in this life WILL eventually come to an end. It will come to an end just like our life on this earth will come to an end. It is the joy we see referenced in Revelation 21:4:
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away”, (NIV).
No matter how much pain we experience in this life, no matter how many tears we cry, no matter how many times or how deeply others have hurt us, no matter how many nights we have spent crying ourselves to sleep wondering how we can possibly go on dealing with this much pain, hurt, and sorrow: it WILL eventually end. We WILL eventually live in a more full, life-giving, breathtaking experience of joy than we ever thought possible.
And don’t get me wrong friend: I am NOT saying this to in any way try to diminish the hurt, grief, and mourning you are currently experiencing in this life. I am NOT trying to tell you to just “put your happy face on” and get over it. What I AM saying is that I hope when you are walking through this pain, you can be reminded of the promise we have in heaven, and that that promise will bring you even just the smallest inkling of joy in the midst of your sorrows. What I AM saying is that I hope it gives you the opportunity and ability to see the light amongst the darkness, the roses among thorns, and the joy amongst so much pain, sadness, and deep grief.
So, could it be true: can there really be “joy in the mourning?” Can the promise of heaven be enough to even wipe away just one tear from our eyes, or be what allows us to go to sleep at night when we are deep in the emotional trenches of pain, hurt, and sorrow? Can the promises of heaven give us peace of mind when our hearts feel tormented by anxiety? Can the hope we have in Jesus offer just a flicker of light when we feel like we are surrounded by tunnels of darkness?
My hope and prayer is that this CAN be true for us, my friends. Not that we will not experience pain, but that we can be reminded of the joy we are promised on the other side of this life. My hope is that even when we are knee-deep in our mourning, God can still give us joy in remembering the hope that we have in Christ, and in our eternal life in heaven with him. My prayer for us is that of Psalm 30:11-12:
“You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!” (NLT)
Lord Jesus, I pray for all of my friends reading this today, that you would remind them of the joy that they can and will have in heaven, and that being reminded of the joy we are promised then would also bring them even the smallest inkling of joy in this present moment. I pray that because they are reminded of this promise, maybe they will cry just ONE less tear tonight, that they will fall asleep even just a minute earlier, and that if the pain they are experiencing is physical, that they will be given an image from you that brings them peace of mind even amongst such horrible pain. I pray that when my friends remember our hope of eternal life, that they will smile, even just for a moment. I pray that you will allow my friends to live out the title of this blog post and experience true “joy in the mourning.” I pray that you, God, would be with them:
In their coming in, and in their going out.
In their laughter, and in their tears.
In their anxiety, and in their peace of mind.
In their confidence, and in their insecurity.
In their excitement, and in their disappointment.
In their faithfulness, and in their distrust and skepticism.
In their kindness, and in the moments when they say things they later deeply, deeply regret.
In their best moments, and in their worst moments.
In their love, and in moments when they feel apathy.
In their care, and in their lack thereof.
In their singleness, and in their marriages.
In their gratitude, and in their discontentment.
In their families, and in their struggles with infertility.
In their pureness of heart, and in convicted hearts that are plagued by sin.
In their patience, and in their anger.
In their gentleness, and when they speak harshly to those they love.
In their joy, and in their mourning.
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