Rejoicing Comes in the Morning

AM Psalm 30, 32 • PM Psalm 42, 43
1 Kings 12:1-20 • James 5:7-12,19-20 • Mark 15:33-39

Our morning Psalm reading includes one of my favorite pieces of Scripture: “weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” This verse is inspirational in that every night—literal and figurative—is broken by the joy of morning.

I find it appropriate that today we also commemorate Sister Constance and her companions for their attention to the community of Memphis during the 1878 yellow fever epidemic. Their selfless care for the ill during this time was undoubtedly grueling, difficult, and frightening. If we consider their experience with the yellow fever epidemic as a night of weeping, we might also consider their joyous morning as a healthy, healed community. I imagine that their hope, in addition to their commitment to serving God, inspired them to persist in their care for others while many evacuated the city and abandoned the ill. Through the difficulty they faced in caring for others, Sister Constance and her companions were a joyous morning for their patients.

Many of us experience difficulty and hardships in our lives. We might find that our weeping night is several months, years, or decades long. Yet, we must not lose hope that dawn will break and scatter light across the darkness. Our Lord is faithful, and sure as morning light devours night's darkness, His favor and love are infinite. God reveals himself in many ways, and we should remind ourselves that we find Him in each of us. Be inspired by Sister Constance and her companions’ service to the ill, so that your care and service may be a joyous morning for others.

Written by Mary Margaret Hui

Mary Margaret is a Fayetteville native and is passionate about improving the opportunities and lives of others through access to education. She holds an Ed.D. in Higher Education and works in the Office of Student-Athlete Success at the University of Arkansas.