You are on our side

Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5

Um, that was fast. I feel so much better. It’s a new day, a new week. Experiencing God’s presence (facilitated by church this morning) has a way of refreshing me unlike anything else, more so than anything else, and I feel the joy of His presence restored to me once again. There were physical clouds still looming in the sky this morning, but I felt God dissolving the clouds/sadness of my heart so His light could burst through and reach me, just like the hymn that was sung today declares:

Melt the clouds of sin and sadness, drive the dark of doubt away. Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day!

I know everything is going to be alright because my hope is in Him and he will not leave me. He could just be silent and leave me here, but no, He grants me the gift of His presence.

You sit at the table with the wounded and the poor
You laugh and share stories with the thief and the whore
When You could just be silent and leave us here to die
Still, You sent Your Son for us
You are on our side
Still, You sent Your Son for us
You are on our side
-Bethany Dillon

And, this was in the church bulletin this morning that I proceeded to tape in the front of my journal:

The risen, living Christ calls us by our name;
Comes to the loneliness within us;
Heals that which is wounded within us;
Comforts that which grieves within us;
Release us from that which has dominion over us;
Cleanses us of that which does not belong to us;
Renews that which feels drained within us;
Awakens that which is asleep within us;
Names that which is still formless within us;
Empowers that which is newborn within us;
Consecrates and guides that which is strong within us;
Restores us to this world which needs us;
Reaches out in endless love to others through us.
The risen, living Christ calls us by our name. – Flora Slosson Wuellner

With a God like that, yeah, I am in good hands.

And, as icing on the cake, my friend who shares my love for Shawn Mullins’ Rockabye (“everything’s gonna be alright, rockabye”) – the song I was thinking about before bed – left me messages late last night that I discovered this morning that made me really really happy. My friends are the greatest and make me excited to go back to Furman where I tend to get by with a lil help from my friends.