The Promise of His Presence

Not sure why but I just feel compelled to share what blessed me from Monday's lesson from a workbook I am going through called Untangling Relationships.

Psalm 139:7,8,11,12
7 I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! 8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.
11 I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night— 12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.

Hebrews 4:15,16
15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

The exercise was to think back over the past two days and describe a moment of joy and a moment of sadness.

I had just spent the weekend with my sweet little fella, my 3 month old grandson, Braden. I had SOOOOO enjoyed him... literally just soaked him up... there was barely a moment all weekend that he wasn't in my arms... we talked together (or "cooed" together) :) and sang together and had the funnest, sweetest moment where we took turns making each other laugh. It was the cutest thing. His little laugh made me laugh which made him laugh bigger which made me laugh bigger and so on and so on! It was pure J-O-Y Joy!!!! Oh, and then to just watch him drift off to sleep... I stared at him for hours. Precious, precious, priceless moments I will never forget. It was such a sweet reprieve from "life". Yet after taking him back home to his mommy I got to come home to "life"... many, many overwhelming problems and issues to deal with and work through.... certainly enough to send anyone with a lesser God into deep depression wondering which way to go and what step to take. Yet, so Faithfully, as He always Is... this lesson was waiting to allow me to soar on eagle's wings above the storm. Following is the prayer I wrote in response to His Word to me:

Sweet Present Lord,
I thank You for the Promise of Your Presence. I thank You that You understand and even participate empathetically in my emotions. I love the thought that You were there enjoying Braden with me! And what comfort to know that You are right here agonizing with me over the feeling that God is nowhere to be found in my circumstances. I thank You that in spite of what I feel, You are ALWAYS here guiding me! Oh, how...
I love You, too!
JJ