From your pastor… “Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”
Psalm 30:4, 5b, NRSV
Recently, we endured the snow/ice/frozen winter in our beloved New Orleans area and the state of Louisiana and most of the United States. It was terrible. We could not travel or work or enjoy being outdoors. We were trapped and held captive by the weather and the icy roads. Worse, many people lost electric power and the use of water, and others suffered physical pain from falls and accidents. We are not used to this kind of climate challenge, and most of us, DO NOT LIKE IT. One of our church family posted a funny picture on Facebook that made me laugh out loud when I saw it. It was a photo taken from the movie Star Wars. In the picture, Luke Skywalker was riding this animal and Hans Solo was beside him. They were on a frozen planet, and they were covered from head to toe with clothes, coats, and furs in subfreezing temperatures. The caption read: “We are going to ROUSES, Can we get something for you?” I loved it. We wanted to go somewhere, anywhere, even to the grocery store if we could escape our frozen entrapment!
The last few days, when the sun has come out and the weather is warm, I have been feeling estatic on the inside!! Thank you, God. Praise the Lord! We are alive again and able to have freedom to come and go and bask in the sunshine. Recently, with a wedding party in Terrytown, we experienced a double rainbow, and it was absolutely beautiful. The bride and groom were called to go outside of the reception hall to witness the double blessing! Oh, the joy of life!
Yes, we go through difficult and trying times in our lives. However, the Psalmist points out to us, these times do not last forever. Sadness, trouble, frustration do come, but then also, rejoicing, resolution, and good times can follow. Life is a cycle of winter and summer, spring time and fall.
My husband Jeff serves as a hospital chaplain. He ministers to people in times of death and grief. But he also gets to witness miracles of life and rebirth. Recently, he was so awed by a patient who was down for the count, and yet, did not give up. Doctors and nurses kept working to help this patient recover, and this patient was even able to receive a transplant! The work of recovery is very slow, but hope for extended life is now present in a real way. We cannot give up on life. We cannot stop living when trouble and challenge comes our way. May we take the sunshine with us on the inside and continue to choose to live life to its fullest potential. Praise the Lord!
Grace and peace,
Rev. Becky