Joy Comes in the Morning

I hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and that you are having a lovely, peaceful weekend with the people you love. As I write this, the dishwasher and washing machine are running, helping me to finish the cleanup after a beautiful gathering of four generations. We had a delicious meal and entirely too much dessert, and shared a fun evening of reminiscing and rejoicing, with so many reasons to give our thanks to God. He is so good, and His blessings are so abundant! 

Adding even more loveliness to our gathering was the pleasant fact that it was seasonably cool outside. This made it really feel like Thanksgiving, which is not at all a sure thing in East Texas, and it reminded me of something I wrote a couple of weeks ago...

Our sweet Gus, enjoying the cooler autumn air

Break out the best china and blow up the balloons, let the land rejoice with singing and shouting! For today in the great state of Texas, the first cold front of the season has arrived—glory, hallelujah! 

I just met our older daughter and her adorable brood of children for lunch, and you should have seen how cute those kids were when they stepped out of the van into the crisp air. If they had tails, they would have wagged them, and they frolicked just like our pups did when we went outside this morning. The kids laughed and shouted—in fact, we all laughed and shouted, for the long summer is finally over!

I have wondered what the weather would have been like if sin had never entered the picture, and we had never had to leave the Garden of Eden. Though I would be tempted to guess it would have been perfectly mild and balmy all the time, it’s impossible to say, as I know there are actually people who dearly love hot and humid weather and feel like they might freeze to death on a day like today. All I know is that I did a little shopping after lunch, and was truly amazed how happy everyone was everywhere I went. People around here are usually friendly, but today everyone was positively gracious after months of triple-digit temperature days, not to mention warm and sultry nights. We who endure so many months of extreme hot just come alive with rejoicing when the cool air finally breaks through. The weather change was our topic of conversation for at least the first ten minutes of our lunchtime together, and my daughter commented that she was not sure if those in a milder climate could appreciate a 60° day in quite the same way. 

​T​he Lord is very wise, and He must love new things since He is always making things new. The four seasons built into the ebb and flow of each year are such a vivid picture of HIs creativity, and remind us to see hope and beauty in every phase of life. I have always loved the way the changing seasons are so visible in the yearly growth cycle of the trees and plants in our garden. Right now the hardwood trees are so warm and colorful as they sing their autumn song, and the last pink blooms of our climbing rose share their sweet fragrance before a winter sleep. But there is so much to look forward to later! We have one tree that bursts into pink tulip-like blossoms each spring, bringing so much joy to our hearts, and even as it sheds its leaves this autumn, I can see the buds setting for next spring. The question is whether we could admire the new fresh growth of spring on the tree in quite the same way without first experiencing the cold and fruitless winter?

Along that same line of thought, it is so hard for most of us to appreciate normal life properly unless we for some reason have had an abnormal season of life. I attended a birthday party last weekend for a friend whose family has endured a terrible season of suffering in the last year. Unimaginable conflict and trouble emerged around a tragic life event, and this family suffered a horrific season of confusion and dismay. Time has passed, and the Lord is so good and so faithful to help and encourage us in times of need. So when this group gathered together to celebrate, the rejoicing was profound and moving. Much joy and laughter filled the home, and the gratitude of those present was something you could sense in the air. Everyone there was nourished by the delicious reality, newly understood: though the weeping may last through the night, the joy comes in the morning.

Suffering is not something that we enjoy in any capacity. We don’t like to experience it, and we don’t even like to talk about it. But once we start to read the Bible with the lens of suffering in place, we see it is a profound theme of life with Jesus. In God‘s kingdom, which is nothing at all like the kingdom of the world, suffering should never catch us off-guard. The Lord is good, and does not design awful circumstances for people to be a part of; but it turns out that we do quite well at walking into those awful circumstances ourselves, especially with the help of a broken world and an evil enemy. But God is amazing, and uses every last bit of suffering that a person might endure to strengthen and refine that person, and to conform them into the image of Christ. Just like the people in Texas are appreciating this first cold front because they just endured another long, hot summer, it is impossible to understand how amazing it is to feel well unless you have been sick. It is hard to understand how precious is the faithfulness and friendship of God unless you have been betrayed by someone close. It is difficult to understand how beautiful it is to be loved unless you have been alone.

Christ Jesus endured all of those things. He is so amazing and understands fully everything that we go through. He is the God who draws near to us; He left Glory to come down and walk among us through our pain and through our suffering, and He understands better than we know.

If they had feelings, I guess there wouldn't be a single lump of coal that would want to be smashed under a mountain of pressure for long enough to become a diamond. I don’t suppose there would be rock in the world that would want to be thrown into such a hot fire to be refined. But there is just no other way to become shining gold or a brilliant diamond.

Some of you reading this are walking through a difficult season right now, and I want to encourage you today. Lean into the strong arms of the Father who loves you, and let Him give you the strength and courage to run with perseverance the race marked out for you, fixing your eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

I pray that you are able to look around and see a glimmer of life and hope today. Keep your mind on what you know is true, which is what the Lord has spoken in His word. Do not let your circumstances lie to you, and try to convince you that God is not good after all. He is good, and He is right there with you in your suffering. Let Him hold you and carry you through.

For those of you who have endured the long night of sorrow and are waking up to the joyful morning, I rejoice with you! I pray that this amazing awareness does not ever leave you. I pray that God gives you the words to explain your new understanding to the rest of us as you have opportunity, so that many will be strengthened along with you through your experience. I pray that your heart will be softened towards others, and that you will be filled with compassion and grace towards those around you, so that many will see and hear and put their trust in the Lord. 

As the year turns from autumn to winter, let's allow Emmanuel to give us a new perspective throughout this season. May His light shine brightly in our hearts, even moreso as the days grow shorter, and may the lessons of the dark encourage us in the brighter days to come. 

​I will exalt you, Lord,
    for you lifted me out of the depths
    and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
Lord my God, I called to you for help,
    and you healed me.
You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead;
    you spared me from going down to the pit.
Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people;
    praise his holy name.
For his anger lasts only a moment,
    but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
    but rejoicing comes in the morning.
​
Psalm 30:1-5

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Friday Night on the Frio River