This year has been hard on all of us in a variety of ways. We've all dealt with hardships, whether it's sickness, loss, isolation, or any number of things. It doesn’t have to end there, though. I've gone through my fair share of loss this year. One of my most influential professors died from cancer. Another influential person connected to work died in a car wreck a few months ago. And just recently, an old music buddy of mine died from a heart attack.

It's not been all that easy to deal with, as it seems like one tragedy follows on the coattails of another. And I know that I have not had it the worst this year by far. Sorrow and grief have hung over many of us this year. In Psalm 30, David sang of such a time.

“Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger is but for a moment,
and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.”

— Psalm 30: 4,5

There's a lot of symbolism to catch in the last two lines. Nighttime is very much symbolic of death, mystery, uncertainty, fear. Weeping, sorrow, grief all come through tragedies. We mourn over losses, but there is hope.

Morning carries with it its own symbolism. A new day, new life, new light. Though we might weep through the difficult times, a new morning will always dawn, bringing with it new joys.

It reminds me of one of the final scenes in the Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. In the battle of Helm’s Deep, the men of Rohan fight tirelessly through the night against an overwhelming number of orcs. When it seems like all hope is lost, the sun rises, and Aragorn remembers Gandalf's words. The sun crests the hill, bringing with it Gandalf and reinforcements and victory.

There is been a lot of weeping this year, but it doesn't end there. Joy will come at the end of the night when a new day dawns. May this be a source of encouragement for you.