"I started the work weeping, I finished rejoicing."
(Written on a Babylonian cornerstone.)
I love this quote. I feel that it's a summary of the past few years of my journey. Due to some choices, events, life circumstances, etc. I went through quite a struggle starting 3 years ago. As I went through that time there was most certainly a great deal of weeping, and plenty of times when I wondered if there would be a day my face wouldn't feel the warmth of salty tears. But, as Psalm 30:5 says "...weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." I started the work of refinement, analyzing decisions I'd made, and repenting of times I tried to step in the way of what God was doing with weeping. I finished that work rejoicing in God's faithfulness to walk with me; marvelling at His redemption of all the bad decisions I'd made; resting in His love of the person He created me to be (and not the person I sometimes fear people see). Last week in church Bill (our missions pastor) made the comment that God not only restores those things within us that are broken, He makes them better than they were before they were ever broken in the first place. I thought about that statement in light of my life and I'm so grateful to see the truth in it. I'm so grateful to see the weeping turn to rejoicing!
