Psalm 30:11-12 “You turned my wailing into dancing, you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.”
Have you ever felt that your life would always be filled with sorrow and trials? It’s easy to lose hope when tragedy or illness take a loved one away before we were ready to bid them goodbye. A few years ago we experienced such a loss, and the thing that I had the most trouble with was the feeling that I wasn’t ready for them to leave this life, I still needed guidance and wisdom. I naively imagined that when I was ready we would have an amiable eternal goodbye and there would be sadness, but that it would be okay. The only true reality was an eternal goodbye. But, God is good, and in His time He did make the clouds to part and restored joy to our aching hearts. Now, instead of unbearable sorrow, there is a heart full of thankfulness for a merciful short end and the promise of eternity. We have thanksgiving instead of sackcloth.
Terri Pettyjohn is a regular contributor to ExperiencingWorship.com Her devotionals and Women in Worship articles are a favorite of many of our users as she seeks to touch the hearts of others through her writing. Terri currently lives in Farmington, NM where she is pursuing a career in free-lance writing. She is an attender of Pinon Hills Community Church and volunteers on a regular basis in the Worship Arts Ministry. When she is not busy there she is investing in the lives of her grandchildren and others.