In life, sooner or later, we come to the midnight hour. The hour comes when all is black, when myriad shapes seem to haunt our paths, when the very blackness appalls and our hearts cry out in utter despair. We fear the night and we dread what the day may bring forth.

We do have our midnights, do we not? We suffer nights of sorrow and nights of persecution, nights of doubt and nights of anxiety, nights of pain and nights of ignorance, nights of grief and nights of shame, nights of disappointment and nights of solemn regret. We experience nights of all kinds which press upon our spirits and terrify our souls.

Sometimes in life, the most potent defense we have against the howling winds of adversity is the faith to sing songs in the night. When life begin to choke us, when circumstances push us into a corner, when God's providence appears adverse, when our spiritual wiring short-circuits, we can still sing a song.

While awaiting deliverance, we can still sing songs of triumph and praise. We sing because we have learned that even in the blackest night, there are still some little lamps burning in the night sky of our souls. However dark it may be, we can find some little comfort, some little joy, some little mercy, some little promise, some spark of hope to lift our spirits and elevate our souls.

Let God give you a song in your midnight hour.

Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, veteran social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach which can be reviewed on her site. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: My Grief Management Workbook, is expected to be available in July.

You are welcome to visit AMEN Ministries: Your Souls' service Station for spiritual refreshing, soul edification or to browse our newly expanded mini shopping mall. http://www.clergyservices4u.org

Blessings to all!