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From mourning to morning
At one time, I was in the midst of mourning many things—the passing of my husband, my father, and also, because of the economy, a loss of funds. Often I woke up in the middle of the night, struggling to feel any sense of dominion, peace, or clarity. The nights were very dark, like the darkness of my thoughts.
Whenever my fears overwhelmed me, I would pray to God and ask for help. One night, during a prayerful time, out of the darkness I heard a bird singing. “What a funny little bird,” I thought, “singing in the dark. That bird is not afraid in the dark; he’s singing.” Although I had lived in that house for about three years, I had never heard that bird before. The bird came and sang three nights in a row, and then I never heard the bird again.
The bird’s midnight serenades helped remind me to wake up and sing. I needed to sing hymns of praise and replace dark thoughts with gratitude—and constantly to affirm God’s ever-presence. Gradually, this helped me overcome feelings of grief and loss.
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