Good Day

It is only because we now know what happened on Resurrection Sunday that we can call today Good Friday. It surely seemed unspeakably bad to Jesus' friends at the time. But not to Jesus! He was not a grim victim. Hebrews 12:2 says that all during His horrible shaming and suffering, He was thinking about the joy (for Him and for us?) that would result from His sacrifice to redeem us. I was thinking about the emotions and personal desires that flow out of knowing such a wonderful Savior, and I realized that I was practically quoting Galatians 5:22: Love...joy...peace...patience...kindness...goodness...faithfulness...gentleness...self-control.

Reminds me of something Martin Luther said between groans of pain as he lay dying. "These pains and troubles here are like the type that printers set. When we look at them, we see them backwards, and they seem to make no sense and have no meaning. But up there, when the Lord God prints out our life to come, we will find they make splendid reading." I realize that modern technology has replaced the science of type-setting, but I remember it well. In college I worked at a luxury book bindery and had the tedious task of setting type for the personalized gold-leaf titles on the spine. Fifty years later, I can still read text in a mirror (backward) almost as easily as normal text. But life's struggles are harder to read, I admit.

Today, though, is a Good Day. First because of Jesus' death and resurrection. Also because of the safe arrival at 5:00 am of daughter Sue and family plus Jake, Jeremy's friend. What a reunion that was, after their 11-hour drive! Now everyone is asleep, and I also went back to sleep for awhile.

I appreciate your prayers so much. I'm feeling the fatigue that results from the drop in hemoglobin again, but I can live with that.

Love, joy, and peace to you!
Carol