I should probably be asleep right now considering that it's past one o'clock in the morning right now and I'll need to be up in a few hours to get ready to head to church but I've had four cups of coffee today...or yesterday and am buzzing from the roller-coaster week I've had.
The week started off as mundane as most weeks have been and sometimes I feel as if my life revolved around Jacob's apartment, my apartment and the grocery store. I had woken up one morning early this week and felt just so but as I flipped open my laptop to type a precautionary email, my phone woke me up. It was my dad. It's not often that my dad cried while in conversation but as the sobs sounded through the phone line, I knew. Our dear dear friend, Robert Clement had passed away. We had heard about his fall and being induced into a coma only a day or two ago but this still felt so sudden.
I felt instantly guilty that one of my first thoughts were of mild panic that we no longer had our preacher (thank you Rev Mark for being so quick and willing to step in) for the wedding and the shock from the sudden news turned me dumb, not knowing quite what to say in response. My dad hung up.
Just before I received that call, I had received two packages. One was a surprise birthday card and gift from my best friend and maid of honour, Vanessa and the other was a surprise I had for Jacob... both gave me cause to be excited. On the other end of the phone call, I had to rush to the train station to meet up with Jacob. We had a date planned in the city!
Other than that one day, the rest of the week has been filled with news both of deep sorrow as well as joy and now I'm just emotionally tired. What has been my lesson this week you ask? Well, I have learnt once again to appreciate the power of the cross... the place where sorrow and joy are seemingly intertwined, the place where our sorrows are turned into joy. Though the sorrow may last for the night, His joy comes with the morning. I'm blessed beyond the curse for His promise will endure and His joy is going to be my strength! So I'm trading my sorrows. I'm trading the pain. I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord.
Thank you Lord for the cross. I hope that you will likewise trade in your sorrows for the joy of the Lord. Be encouraged. :)
