Joy in the Morning

With holes in his shoes, and rips in his coat, he longs for someplace warm.

Staggering into a cold, dark alley, he finds shelter from the snow-storm.

He climbs into a dumpster, covers himself with debris, and settles in for a long, lonely night.

Memories of a life, long gone, he closes his eyes and sleeps.

“Mama! Papa! Joey, Mary, Tom? It’s been such a long time since I’ve seen you.

Where’d you come from? How long can you stay?”

“Jack, we’ve been waiting for you. You see, we aren’t going away. You’re finally home. You’re safe, here today!”

“It’s so warm here and peaceful. There’s no snow or wind. No loneliness; no hunger. Why I feel 20 years younger. Can it be true? Am I really here with you?”

“Yes Jack! We’re all together again.”

“Am, I, dead?”

“Oh no Jack. You’re more alive than you’ve ever been.”

“On earth, they’re celebrating the birth, of the Lord Jesus Christ. You accepted him when you were ten. You fell into hard times. Life is that way. But today. You are home!”

The gift of life, is given freely, and we must all find our way. Guided by the angels, His children pray. They pray for us to understand that life is never fair. But when we give our lives to Jesus there’s a different path we bear. Leaving the past behind us, we must trust, God! For everyone who’s born again has a narrow road to trod.

Each life we touch, each smile given, with a heart full of love, is one small way to tell others, it comes from God above.

You may be hurting this season and with very good reason…life is hard, but God is good!

And when we close our eyes in sleep, with tears on our pillow as we often weep…

Joy, will come, in the morning.

There we’ll meet…

Jesus…

~Marla Shaw O’Neill December 11, 2020

Psalm 30:5

The Passion Translation I’ve learned that his anger lasts for a moment, but his loving favor lasts a lifetime! We may weep through the night, but at daybreak it will turn into shouts of ecstatic joy.