Sorrow

      This world is so full of sorrow!  We have all experienced sorrow to some degree. 

      Sorrow has encompassed our life in the past couple weeks, but especially today.  Today has been heart wrenching!  Full of sorrow.  Full of amazement.  Full of thankfulness.  Full of mercy.

       This morning I attended a funeral of a dear young couple from our church who were called to bring their 12 day old infant son to the grave.  My heart was grieving with the mourning couple and their families.  We never thought that there would be a child in our church family buried before Jacob.  God's ways are higher than our ways!

        In our thoughts, we've been where this couple have been.

• We've been plunged into mourning.
• We've grieved with our families.
• We've been in the receiving line at the funeral home standing beside our son lying in a casket. 
• We've been ushered up to the front of the church where Pastor Kelderman would preach to our little family, our extended families, friends and congregation. 
• We've been called to bring our dear son to his final resting spot. 
• We've been rejoicing, thinking that our dear son would be honouring and glorifying his maker in perfection, yet crushed that we would never be able to hold him, never to speak to him, never to care for him again.    
• We've been rejoicing that he would forever be taken out of all his trials, discomforts and pains.

Yet, we have been graciously spared from having to physically experience these things.  Jacob has been spared for 16 months in God's providence.  Even though his heart doesn't beat consistently like it should,  even though he experiences breathing difficulties daily, even though his brain sends incorrect signals many times a day, causing various effects, even though he doesn't gain weight like he should, we are experiencing God's compassion.  Daily compassion!  Daily tender mercies!

Pastor Kelderman preached on Lamentations 3 :21-25.  This I recall to mind, therefore have I hope.  It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.  They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.  The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.  The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

Indeed His mercies are new every morning.  That we may have the eyes to see His mercies every day.