The birds start their singing – us, too?

I had been feeling down and met with a friend. She mentioned a Bible verse: “Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5b NIV). I told her that, hearing that Scripture, I had been feeling kind of stuck in “night mode” lately. She understood that, but shared some wisdom and truth – along with a hug – and I left feeling better, my faith bolstered.

On my way home in the car, the radio announcer “just happened” to tell about an experience that morning. She got up earlier than usual and looked out her kitchen window. The sun had not come up yet. Only the faintest glow indicating sunrise had appeared on the horizon, but it was definitely still dark out. To her surprise, in the darkness and even through her closed windows, she could hear the birds start their singing.

She “got to thinking:” we may be going through something very difficult and at times we can’t even see the inkling of a hopeful sunrise. In our hearts, it still feels quite dark, but what if we took a cue from those birds and started singing anyway?  

For me, her mention of singing means praising God. You may be in such a challenging time you can’t even do that right now, and that’s okay. Or maybe you are at a point where you can try a tentative chirp, chirp-chirp? In the Old Testament a prophet named Habakkuk said that no matter how many things go wrong, “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” (Hab. 3:18 NIV). I am not always as successful at that as Habakkuk, but his determination has helped and inspired me many times through the years.

I have no idea what you may be going through – perhaps a loss, an illness or a failed relationship? Your heart may feel broken, and you’ve probably heard that God can heal a broken heart. “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds,” we’re told in Psalm 147:3. I believe that, but admit that at times I wonder how long that healing will take!

However, then I started thinking about healing. If it’s our body that needs healing, it rarely happens overnight, so we wait, allowing some time to pass. Also, we may not be able to see the progression of the healing, but that does not mean it isn’t happening.

So if it’s my heart that needs healing? Same thing: I ask Him to heal me. I allow time and trust the process; I trust that He is working and that I may see it, I may not. When I do see indications of it – however small – admittedly the praise and joy come more easily, and I’m so thankful for the gifts He blesses me with along the way.

I choose to believe He is healing my heart, even if it is sometimes imperceptible. Maybe you can choose to believe that too as you lean into Him for help. And maybe we can both sing a song while we wait for the sun to rise.