Joy Cometh in the Morning

“…weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Psalm 30:5.

Many of us have experienced the pain of grief in our lives. The closer the loss, the more devastation it brings. Recently, it was our turn again when my mother-in-law passed away—just one day before her older sister passed. This hit the family hard because, of course, as sisters, they were close.

My mother-in-law was cut from the old cloth. Strong. Independent. Determined to give her kids the best she could. Even when she found herself alone, she didn't desert her kids. Long after they were grown, she kept checking in on them. Making sure they were good. She had a heart of compassion for people in need and would give what she had to help them.

No one can tell you the magnitude of the grief experienced when a family loses sisters—matriarchs of the family—in such close proximity unless they have gone through it. But, thank God, His people do not mourn as if we have no hope.

This sentiment brings me back to Derek Moore, the hero of my debut novel, A Family of Her Own. We first meet him six months after his beloved wife of ten years was killed in a car accident. His grief is very acute. Very real. And very visceral. That scene would hold our hearts in a vice even if he were the only one grieving. However, the heroine of the novel, Ashanti Walker, was his wife's best friend. Actually, she was more like a sister since Ashanti is all alone in the world.

The scene brings you immediately into the room. You can feel the emptiness of the rooms, once vibrant and alive, but now void of color. Void of laughter. Ashanti and Derek are not just "not close"—they have spent the last ten years avoiding each other as much as possible.

But that's the funny thing about shared grief—it brings out genuine compassion even between enemies.

As Derek and Ashanti navigate their way through A Family of Her Own, they learn that God is the source of our strength. He's also the source of all joy. The secret is in knowing how to surrender the grief in exchange for that joy.

Like Derek and Ashanti, let us learn to cast our cares on the One who loved us so much that He lay down His life that we might have eternal life. Then we'll know the truth of God's Word—that indeed “weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”

Want to know when A Family of Her Own is released? Follow along here on the blog — I'll be sharing updates as the story comes to life.

In His Love, BrendaGail