Weeping may linger for the night but joy comes with the morning

"Weeping may linger for the night but joy comes with the morning." - Psalm 30:5 

There is a lot of talk in our society about happiness, but what we need to hear about is joy.  Happiness is a feeling, brought on by inner and outer circumstances. But joy is a theological concept that speaks to more than feelings or circumstances.  Joy can occur even in unhappy situations. Joy springs up in that odd moment when despair turns madly, unexpectedly, against all odds towards hope.  Joy allows us to see the brilliance of life even as it is slipping away from us. Joy is pure grace, a gift that is bigger than our human imaginations and sneaks up on us like a silent friend with a soft shoulder to cry on. Joy is big enough to contain our deeply felt tears. "In pain we want our suffering to disappear, in joy we want the things that make us happy to endure," said the great theologian Jurgen Moltmann.  Joy is big and generous. Pain is short-sighted, and in the scheme of eternity, short-lived.
 
Prayer:  Thank you God, for the morning’s light, and for the long night that leads to it as well.  Amen.