Joy Amid the Sorrow
Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:5)
As this past week came to an end, my heart has been full of overwhelming emotions. I do not know if I feel joy, hope, optimism, relief, sorry, despair, or fear. All are true. Sometimes, all at once.
I feel that way about my own life and family history - which is full of both loss, trauma, and pain, but also contains a story full of wonders, joy, and glory! How can our souls carry it all?
The Bible verse, “I will sing of your great love, O Lord, forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through the generations” appears in Psalms 89:1-3.
And in times of sorrow and loss, the Lord does not leave us, but instead shows comfort, mercy, and compassion for His children.
God promises in the Scriptures to be faithful, that we might be assured of the Lord’s great love regardless of the circumstances in the world. In times of joy and abundance, God remains present and true to His promises. And in times of sorrow and loss, the Lord does not leave us, but instead shows comfort, mercy, and compassion for His children.
I have had four siblings in my life. Two brothers and two sisters. Both of my brothers are no longer here with us on this earth. I had an older brother who died when I was a little girl. His name was Daniel. Daniel was hit by a car and killed in a hit-and-run car accident when I was only two years old. Many years later, I had a younger brother - 12 years younger than me, named Jeffrey, whom I helped raise. Jeffrey took his own life in 2020. Jeffrey’s death broke my heart. Sometimes I don’t know if it will ever be able to be put back together again.
But Jesus promises us, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted …” (Matthew 5:4).
The loss of a brother, sister, parent, or anyone we love - it redefines us. The world never feels the same again. There is a very clear before and after. I remember when my father died in 2014 from exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam decades before. After his death, I felt like the sun did not shine as brightly. Now, more than a decade later - I still feel deep pain and loss.
Today, it was announced after 469 days when roughly 1,200 people had been killed in Israel and 47,000 people killed in Gaza, that there will be a pause in the daily death and violence in Gaza and Israel. Since October 7, 2023 - almost each and every day the lives of sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, and children have been taken because of violence and war. I think about each and every one of those families who have lost loved ones - or who have been waiting for hostages to be returned home to them - or who are waiting for prisoners who have been held unjustly to be released. I grieve alongside of them - all of them.
I know that the joyous occasions in our lives do not take away the pain and suffering.
But, I also have hope … and joy. And I continue to hold steadfastly to the belief that peace is possible and that God has not abandoned us, but maintains a plan and purpose for our futures - for me, you, all of us here in the United States, and for the people of Palestine and Israel.
At the beginning of January, a grandchild was born into our family. A little boy. A few weeks before his due date - as we were waiting for him to come, with eager waiting and anticipation - and so much excitement - we felt like he would never come!! When we finally met him, he was less than a week old. I wondered how could I love this tiny child so much when I had only just met him? How could this tiny human being hold so much joy and hope and meaning when he had just come into the world - weighing less than 7 pounds?
I know that the joyous occasions in our lives do not take away the pain and suffering. They do not mitigate our sorrow and loss. But, they do remind us of the promises we read about in the Book of Lamentations, “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning, great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23).
The resurrection story of Jesus teaches us that death does not have the final word. By the grace of God’s goodness, he brings beauty out of the ashes, and new life is born (Isaiah 61:3). May peace be what defines the future of the Middle East. A reminder to all humanity that life must be valued and protected - not only the lives of our own, but also the lives of our neighbors, and even the lives of our enemies. My prayer is that God would turn our mourning into laughter and our sorrow into joy. For the glory of God, may it be so.
I wrote these words after January 19, 2025, on the day the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect. I was completely overwhelmed as I watched the first hostages be released, three Israeli woman, having been held in Gaza by Hamas or other militants after being in captivity for 471 days. In addition, Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners, 69 women and 21 teenage boys, some of them as young as 12 years old from the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem.
