Dark Night of Sorrow

Gripping my pillow, I lay upon the bed where love had been. Tears hotly coursing down my cheeks into the fabric below creating wetness around my face. I sob until the sobbing turns into groaning as I toss and turn trying to flee from the pain. Thoughts speed across my memories. Faces, places, sights and smells take me back to those times again. But the emptiness I feel is indescribable and I cannot hope to restore that love again.

It's just one of many dark nights of sorrow. There are many types that tear apart the soul. Of loved ones who have gone and left this world for the next and children who've abandoned all they've known. It's when laying in some far off distant country; giving all you've got to serve the right. It's laying in a room when you are older and they have taken away your dignity. Again, it's sitting near a building in the city, huddled behind boxes trying to get warm; it's being just a little child crying from innocence stolen by someone. Families broken by divorce, friendships shattered through lies and deceit; children abandoned by their fathers; teens wasted by some twenty dollar high...now trapped for life; a parent sitting counting up the hours, their child has not come home and they're afraid; someone's kidnapped their precious loved one...is there anyone who can save us all again?

So many are the scenes that race across my mind. So many voices crying out in pain. The darkness overwhelms the thought of hope and leaves the sorrowful with loss and grief again.

Gripping pillows pictures, boxes, teddy-bears...just something! Holding on; thinking no one else could understand. You make your way through many lonely hours. The clock is slowly ticking on the stand.

From a foxhole to an empty hallway, from a hospital to a city street, from a nursing home to a funeral parlor; darkness finds a way in which to creep. From a barroom to a hotel lobby, on airplane or far across the sea, inside a classroom or in the teachers lounge, in a factory or in a corporate suite. From the long drive to the cemetery; from Taps to the 21 gun salute. From lying here holding to my pillow to laying across the grave of the bereaved.

Darkness comes into our lives and brings great sorrow through the night. We cannot see that light will dawn for the tears and aching hearts. Separation brought a tearing vows could not support...Oh ...this is the dark night of sorrow.

Yet, there was ONE who agonized all night just like you and he spent his crying moments in the Garden of Gethsemane. He clenched his hands in prayer; darkness gathered all around. Even though God was there...he agonized as blood dripped from his brow...Accused of things for which he wasn't guilty. He journeyed down a narrow street, falling while bearing that old rugged cross then he was lifted up to die for you and me.

That one dark night of sorrow led him to surrender up his life, he became our sacrifice so we could have eternal hope and joy forevermore. Just call upon his name and he'll wipe away your pain and light will come again. Hope will be renewed...that will never fade away. One day all our dark nights of sorrow will pass away. Yes! This dark night of sorrow....must pass away.