Weeping and Rejoicing on the Journey

Encouraged by today's daily devotional

We are all on a journey that leads us to live beyond this world. We have all faced or will face affliction as we live out the life God has entrusted us. Rejoicing is definitely my favorite part of the journey. Weeping is usually the hard side, the one we would like to avoid.

This morning I read these thoughts in, Streams in the Desert, daily devotional. There is a limit to our affliction. God sends it and then removes it. . . After a long ordeal, the threshing tool is on its hook, and the wheat has been gathered into the barn. Before much time has passed, we may be just as happy as we are sorrowful now (Feb 16th, page 77).

This is very promising and should be an encouragement but not always easy to practice. When live gets tough, it seems that it will always be that way, and thinking beyond the momentary pain is definitely an act of surrender and commitment to a larger plan, under the leadership of someone so much bigger than "us" little creatures.

I have tried to come to God daily. I believe we all grow and embrace certain biblical principles slower-quicker than others. Giving up control has probably been the greatest challenge to my faith. We seem to have life all nicely planned, until something beyond yourself, beyond our abilities to change, redo or avoid happens. Death is so final and so foreign when you never have experienced it close by. I have a new respect for life and the time we are given each day.

God continues to be the Alpha and the Omega, even though we think we will determine the Omega with our reason, abilities or sense self righteousness or by what we do. God is still in control and has plans far greater than our best goals for this year. I admit, I am not there yet, its a long road, but I want to live out this kind of faith.

I thank each one of you again and again for praying and loving from the distance. I also want to continue holding on to this truth, that Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning (Ps 30:5)

On the journey of life
Norberto and Anahi Kurrle

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