Then you turned my lament into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and covered me with joy. So now my heart will sing to you and not be silent; O Lord my God, I will always give thanks to you. – Psalm 30:11-12
Only God can turn wailing into dancing. Only God can replace the sackcloth of heartbreak with joy.
It is not a coincidence as I was reading over Psalm 30 and praying over what I should write in this blog post that I would receive a call from a dear friend sharing with me that her dad had just passed away. My eyes filled with tears as I remember this amazing man. As someone who grew up with wounds from my biological father, I loved watching how my friend’s dad loved his girls.
Every time one of them came into the room, he just lit up. He had three daughters and he delighted in each of them. Having three girls of my own, I have a tender spot for girl dads. So many times girl dads get teased about “not having any boys yet” and get asked, “When are you going to try again for that boy?” I know, because I’ve heard those same comments spoken to my husband many times.
But like my husband, my friend’s dad was thankful for the children God had given him. He was crazy proud of his girls and it showed. Through the years, I saw how he invested his life and wisdom into his daughters, always with tender love and care. The way he looked after his girls, provided for them, and cheered for each of them as they each made their way into the world was a beautiful glimpse of the love of God. It helped me understand a little better God’s love for me and how He might delight over me, like I’d seen my friend’s dad delight over her. Watching his life helped me move what I’ve read in Scripture from understanding with my head to truly understanding with my heart.
While today there are tears and sadness of his passing, I am also rejoicing in the truth that I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that I will one day see him again. Even in the heartbreak of the news today, I know God can turn our crying into dancing as we rejoice in what God has done in this amazing man’s life, as well as in our own. It is in times like this that we can choose to worship our Lord with joy because we know one day we will be reunited with our loved ones and will no longer feel their absence.
Until that day arrives, I pause and thank God for the honor of knowing this dear, sweet man. I thank God for using him in my life to help me understand the love God has for me as His daughter, and for the opportunity to see Scripture lived out in front of me.
Heartbreak may come during the night, but joy always comes in the morning.
So tonight I’m going to call it a day a little early and turn my worship music up a little louder in my house. It’s a good night to worship my Lord and thank Him for this incredible man’s life.
Love God Greatly,
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