When Love's Fresh Waves of Sorrow Roll...

As soon as I shift my gaze from the 'joy still set before', sorrow is too hard to bear.

As soon as I forget the Hope Christ came to earth to restore, Grief would drive me to despair

But as I think upon the goodness and mercy of One who suffered in all ways, as we

Sorrow, hope-stunned becomes the humble partaker of Love's Divine Sympathy 

Seems without trouble, sickness and sorrow

How often would haste the day

Filled with hopes and dreams of tomorrow

With never a thought to (truly, humbly) pray

The other day my friend who also owns this book

Every Moment Holy,  mentioned HERE

drew my attention to these pages...

(I could have highlighted every line!)

So many thoughtful friends send messages of sympathy and prayer,

stunning my broken heart with hope and joy

Thank-you to everyone who has helped introduce my heart

to fresh waves of inexpressible joy...

When love's fresh waves of sorrow roll

With renewed force, through heart and soul

When tug of warring thoughts compete

Between the bitter and the sweet

When worlds of retrospect replay

The words we wish we still could say

When 'missing you' becomes a prayer

Of tears that we can hardly bear

When anguish like a vortex, reels

Through rooms, one cannot see, but feels

When ragged longing dearly yearns

For that which death never returns

When we wonder what we can do

To reconcile love's 'missing you'

God, who is merciful and kind

Bids us to come to Him and find

His comfort for Want, sorrow-torn/worn

His promises bless those who mourn

When love's fresh waves of grief deploy

God's hope alone stuns grief with joy 

He ministers His perfect peace

As humble, fervent prayers increase

As sorrow's searing tempests toll

He counts the teardrops of the soul

And ushers into love's embrace

Hope's hallowed glimpses of His face

Heaven on earth is undeterred

And mountains moved through a kind word

And faith, frayed, wounded is made whole 

When love's fresh waves of sorrow roll 

  © Janet Martin

 

1 Pet.1:3-9 BSB

This first week of advent we meditate on hope...

Re-sharing a treasured passage of scripture

A Living Hope

3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

By His great mercy He has given us new birthb into a living hope

through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

4and into an inheritance that is imperishable,

undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you,

5who through faith are shielded by God’s power

for the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

6In this you greatly rejoice,

though now for a little while you may

 have had to suffer grief in various trials

7so that the proven character of your faith—

more precious than gold,

which perishes even though refined by fire—

may result in praise, glory, and honor

 at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

8Though you have not seen Him, you love Him;

and though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him

and rejoice with an inexpressible and glorious joy,

9now that you are receiving the goal of your faith,

the salvation of your souls.

The Piano Guys - The Sweetest Gift (ft. Craig Aven) (Official Video)

(for my dear, sweet sister Lucy)