aN odE to jOY

O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;

I trace the rainbow through the rain,

And feel the promise is not vain,

That morn shall tearless be.

(lyrics from O Love That WIll Not Let Me Go)

i could not have conveyed this facet of God's love more clearly. these words resound truth. not some hypothetical truth but a truth that is real and experiential and good. only after embracing the free gift of grace will this joy begin to permeate each and every situation. its not always found in abundance, yet when the Cross becomes the crux of one's being, joy will be there in some form. and then as time goes on and you are reminded of the traces of joy found within and amongst all of your darkest nights you somehow are filled with even more of it as you realize just how Good and Gracious this Loving God of yours is...