Last week, we lost a dear friend who was like family, and it’s been a tough one. I became one of her caregivers at the end of her cancer battle and was with her, holding her hand, when she met Jesus. We’ll be ok, but for now, her loss is still raw.

Over the past few days, between many grief-stricken tears, God keeps washing the comforting words of Psalm 30:5 over my spirit, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”

Surprisingly, despite the deep heartbreak, joy-treasures keep showing up. Leaves sprouting. Flowers blooming. Hummingbirds buzzing. Weather warming. Friends calling. Cookies baking. Children smiling . . .

I’m starting to understand that the delight of joy is as intense as the sorrow of grief. And strangely, both joy and grief can co-exist.

So for me, in a mysterious way, the words of Psalm 30:5 have taken on a new meaning.

Maybe, during periods of sadness, we shouldn’t just wait for joy to magically arrive on some morning in the faraway future. But we should expect glimpses of God’s joy to show up every day. . . even during the hard seasons of . . . mourning.