The deepest pains (sorrow) may linger through the night, but joy greets the soul with the smile of morning. Psalm 30:5 (Voice)
Christmas time can be especially hard for those who are mourning the death of a loved one. Perhaps this is in part because we have the expectation that everything should change because it’s “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” Every year I expect to feel differently at Christmas time and it is finally starting to happen. It should be a happy time but often it is not! What can make it harder is the deep sorrow that follows the death of a loved one.
Journal Prompt: Tell about a time when you had a difficult time at Christmas.
Four years ago my husband moved to Heaven in September. While I was happy that he was no longer trapped in a body that had stopped working due to muscular dystrophy, the empty chair in the corner was a reminder that I had some mourning to do before joy would come. The tension comes from the juxtaposition (I know that’s a big word!) of these two strong emotions – Sorrow and Joy! Just when the pain of loss and the sorrow threaten to overwhelm you during the dark times the sun does indeed come up the next morning. During the first Christmas without Bill, my late husband, I would take this verse very literally. Many times I would wake up crying and would ask the Lord to carry my sorrow and replace it with joy. That prayer worked every single time. I might cry again that night but found much joy during the events of the day.
Journal Prompt: What loss have you experienced that threatened to steal your joy?
Is it just possible that you have not experienced true joy because you have not allowed yourself to fully feel sorrow? In our culture we don’t see a lot of wailing and loud sobbing at funerals. Most of us who are adjusting to the loss of a loved one do our crying in the privacy of the shower or our back yard where no one can hear us. I encourage you to feel the depths of your pain with the full knowledge that there will be joy in the morning. It is a promise that He is serious about keeping. In the uncertainty of our world, I am especially grateful that Jesus came to bring joy – not just at Christmas time but every day.
Journal Prompt: What brings you joy today? How can you make room for more joy?
Joy to the World
Joy to the world! The Lord is come.
Let earth receive her King
Let every heart
Prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing
Let earth receive her King
Let every heart
Prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing
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Author, speaker, corporate trainer, ordained minister and Hope Catalyst, Karen Sebastian enjoys sharing her rich life experiences with others – engaging them in adventurous discoveries of the beauty of hope in a dark, cloudy world. Her books will inspire you to embrace hope no matter what you are going through.
