Years ago, a friend in ministry lost her husband in a tragic accident.  Her life was suddenly upended by the loss, and she lost her balance.  She could not stop crying and it was then a pastor who came to see her told her angrily that her excessive grief brought embarrassment to God.  As a Christian, especially as a minister, she should’ve been more composed.  That comment hurt her even more deeply, but thank God, over time she recovered and is now back in ministry.

Psalm 30:5 shares a beautiful message about crying, “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”  The Bible does not say, “Weeping may not tarry,” no, weeping may tarry, even for the night.  It’s perfectly OK to cry especially during the night when no one is around, and we feel so alone.  It is humane to grieve with lots of tears for someone with whom we shared lots of years, both in joy and sorrow.  It is fine to weep because with the morning, God has joy in store for us.  His lovingkindness is already waiting for us.

But perhaps we wonder why weeping does not just stop; why it comes back again.  Well, in short it is because life without our loved one is not only different, but it is also more difficult.  It brings more pain and sadness, so each day we experience pain and sadness, we are torn again.  Simply put, weeping comes not from the longing for our loved one but from the loss of our loved one, and how his or her absence creates a hole in our heart, a hole that brings pain each day we face life’s challenges.  That is the reason weeping comes again.

So, it is not a matter of being weak or not depending on or trusting God, as insightfully explained by C. S. Lewis, “Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done.”  So, when morning comes, we must once again come to God and ask for His strength as if we had never asked for and received His strength.

Pastor Paul