what lay behind the mask?

"Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.  And how else can it be?
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.
Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven?
And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy."


poet Kahlil Gibran


I saw this on my neighbor, Jen's blog and just had to steal it so that I could always remember these beautiful words. It reminded me of a beloved scripture in Psalms which reads:

"Weeping may endure for a night, but JOY cometh in the morning"

Our trials and challenging experiences are as great a blessing in our lives as are times of peace and prosperity. Our joy is truly our sorrow unmasked - a thought I hope to hold onto when I find myself in a moment of sorrow or heartache...joy is promised to surely follow.

"Faith will not give you what you want; it will help you know or understand what is divinely intended for you."

My friend, Ganel-Lyn, posted this quote on her blog today, and boy did I need it. (I hope she doesn't mind that I borrowed it, but I thought maybe other family members reading my blog could be uplifted by it as well and couldn't resist sharing.)

*

A dearly loved family member who has been ill had a set-back this week. It's difficult, especially since he had been doing so well lately, running and playing with his boys on a recent camping trip. This reminds me that He is all-knowing and our mortal vision can be so short-sighted. Our desires, no matter how much we want them or feel deserving of them, are not always part of a loving Heavenly Father's plan, and that FAITH means TRUSTING that His intentions are truly, and lovingly, what's best for our learning and growth. There is nothing He wouldn't do for us, no hurt He wouldn't love to take away, and yet He loves us enough to let us experience what is necessary to help us reach our full potential.

BLESSED. (turn off my music on the right)

I want to order this gentleman's DVD and show it to my young women.

And my kids. And my husband.

And pretty much anyone else who will watch it with me.