March 27 – Favor

I remember a column that ran in our local newspaper for years. Every Saturday it was on the weekly religion page – titled, Joy Comes with the Morning. The author was a local woman, although I didn’t know her personally. Each week she would write a few hundred words worth of spiritually uplifting stuff. I usually took the time to read it, but I always though it seemed a bit fluffy. And, her headline was one of the things that bugged me. Just fluff.

Until I stumbled upon the whole verse that this phrase was snipped from – then I saw it in a different light.

“His anger is but for a moment, but his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger in the night, but joy comes with the morning.” (Psalm 30:5)

Today I visited the hospital to see someone who was having some exploratory surgery. One of those things where you don’t know what you’re in for, it all depends on what they find. So there are some knowns and some unknowns. Some light and some darkness.

When I started visiting this hospital, I found myself often walking past the multi-faith chapel, or meditation room, as they call it. I began stopping in for a prayer. Either before or after I make my visits, I take a few minutes in the meditation room to pray for all the different kinds of people who are at the hospital.

I pray for the patients, who may be feeling pain; for family members who are experiencing fear or maybe anger; healers who may be worried or fatigued. And for those who clean rooms, serve meals, answer phones, give directions to lost visitors, or who work behind computers or cash registers – for all of them to have be able to look at others with eyes of compassion. I offer them all up to God in my prayer, and then I go on my way. And it feels good to have done it.

It’s a piece of what I have learned about the ministry of presence. No one can really heal but God. No one can take away the darkness in a person’s life but God. No one can bring peace but God. All I can do is be present for the one who suffers. For me, it is simply to be there with another – in the momentary anger, in the weeping night, in the darkness, in the pain – as well as in the favor and the joy.

To just be present and witness to the hope that although weeping may linger in the night, joy comes with the morning.

Photo: from a New Year's Blessing of the Doors ritual