By the Reverend Joanne Hood, of St John’s Church, Hamilton.

We’ve made it! The last day of January is upon us and I don’t know about you, but I’m relieved.

January always seems so long and grey. Like some others, I get a bit excited when there’s a flurry of snow (as long as I don’t have to be anywhere while it’s falling). But somehow, regardless of what the weather chooses to do, January would have to work very hard to become a month I actually enjoy.

I think I could quite successfully sit and lament throughout January’s 31 long days (that I think feel worse because they come after the joys of Christmas and New Year, and sharing their festivities, with family and friends) but I think I could also set about trying to make the month one that I can actually rejoice in.

If January isn’t going to get me excited about life then maybe I just need to find something to do in January that will.

Our reality in life, of course, is that there are some times when we need to lament and other times when we need to rejoice. The book of Psalms offers both songs of lament and songs of rejoicing.

The Hebrew people recognised that they needed to express both these emotions (and may more besides) in life, because not everything that came their way would be joyful.

As we enter a new month, perhaps one we have been looking forward to, can we allow ourselves to express both those things we lament and those we rejoice in because life will always hand us both?

The book of Psalms might just provide the inspiration we need.