💜 Agape Love Daily Grief Support Devotional 💜Wednesday, August 12, 2026"It's Okay to Feel Joy Again"
- Sarah Skaggs
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
"It's Okay to Feel Joy Again"
📖 Scripture — KJV
"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."— Psalm 30:5
🌿 Devotional Thought
There is something we don't talk about enough in grief:
Sometimes we feel guilty when we start feeling happy again.
Maybe you caught yourself laughing.
Maybe you spent an afternoon with family and realized you hadn't thought about your grief for several hours.
Maybe you went somewhere new and genuinely enjoyed yourself.
Maybe you woke up one morning and, for the first time in a long time, your first thought wasn't about your loss.
And then the guilt came.
"How can I be happy when they're not here?"
"Am I forgetting them?"
"Shouldn't I still be sad?"
Friend, hear this today:
Your joy does not betray your grief.
You are allowed to smile again.
You are allowed to laugh.
You are allowed to enjoy your family.
You are allowed to make new memories.
You are allowed to dream about tomorrow.
None of those things mean you have stopped loving the person you lost.
They mean you are still living the life God has given you.
💜 Joy and Grief Can Sit at the Same Table
Sometimes we think grief and joy are opposites.
But those who have experienced deep loss know something different.
You can laugh while telling a story about your loved one—and then cry before you finish it.
You can enjoy a family gathering while still noticing the empty chair.
You can thank God for the people around you while desperately missing someone who isn't there.
You can have a wonderful day and still whisper before bed:
"I wish you were here."
Both can be true.
Your heart has room for both.
Grief says, "I miss you."
Joy says, "I'm thankful I had you."
And love holds them together.
🌸 You Don't Honor Them by Refusing to Live
Think about the person you miss today.
Would they want you to spend every remaining day miserable because they are gone?
Or would they tell you:
"Go live."
Enjoy your grandchildren.
Take the trip.
Plant the flowers.
Have coffee with your friend.
Go to church.
Celebrate birthdays.
Laugh loudly.
Watch the sunset.
Make new memories.
And when you think of me—
Smile.
We honor those we love not by stopping our lives when theirs ends, but by carrying forward the love they gave us.
🌅 Joy Doesn't Erase Yesterday
Psalm 30:5 gives us such a beautiful promise:
"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."
God doesn't condemn the weeping.
He acknowledges it.
There are nights of sorrow.
There are seasons when the tears seem endless.
But God also reminds us:
Morning still comes.
The sunrise doesn't mean the night never happened.
Joy doesn't mean the grief wasn't real.
Healing doesn't mean the love disappeared.
It simply means darkness didn't get the final word.
🕊️ Give Yourself Permission
Today, give yourself permission to experience whatever good thing God places before you.
If something makes you laugh—
Laugh.
If someone invites you somewhere—
Go.
If you hear music that makes you want to dance—
Dance.
If you feel peace—
Receive it.
If you feel joy—
Thank God for it.
You don't have to apologize for healing.
Your loved one's memory isn't disappearing because you're learning how to live again.
Their love has simply become part of the person you are becoming.
🙏 Wednesday Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for staying with us through every night of sorrow and for reminding us that morning still comes.
For the person who feels guilty about smiling again, please lift that burden today.
Remind us that joy does not mean we have forgotten.
Help us receive the good moments You give us without guilt.
Teach us to treasure yesterday while still embracing today.
When memories bring tears, comfort us.
When memories bring laughter, help us laugh freely.
And when joy begins returning to our hearts, help us recognize it as another gift from Your loving hand.
Thank You for those we have loved.
Thank You for the memories we carry.
And thank You for the hope of Heaven we have through Jesus Christ.
In Jesus' precious Name,
Amen.
🌸 Today's Grief Support Challenge
Do one thing today that brings you joy.
It doesn't have to be something big.
Sit outside with a cup of coffee.
Call someone you love.
Listen to your favorite music.
Look through photographs and remember the happy times.
Buy yourself some flowers.
Take a drive.
Watch the sunset.
And when you experience that little moment of happiness, don't push it away.
Simply whisper:
"Thank You, Lord, for this moment."
🤍 Need Prayer?
If today is difficult and you need someone to stand with you in prayer, please reach out.
You don't need to explain everything.
Simply say:
"Please pray for me."
We would be honored to do that.
🕊️ If Grief Feels Unbearable
If your grief becomes overwhelming or you are having thoughts of harming yourself, please reach out for immediate support.
📞 Call or text 988 — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Help is available 24 hours a day.
Please don't face that moment alone.
Your life matters. There are still chapters to be written, people to love, memories to make, and reasons to stay.
💜 Agape Love Wednesday Reminder
It is okay to feel joy again. Your smile does not mean you have forgotten. Your laughter does not mean you loved them any less. Making new memories does not erase the old ones. You can miss someone with your whole heart and still thank God for the beautiful life that remains before you.
Grief says, "I miss you." Joy says, "I'm thankful I had you." Love says, "I will carry you with me always." 💜🕊️
Comments