Ere I can keep and use its fragrance brief.
They tell me I must break the skylark's heart,
Ere her cage song will make the silence start.
They tell me love must bleed, and friendship weep,
Ere in my deepest need, I touch that deep.
Must it be always so with precious things?
Must they be bruised and go with beaten wings?
Ah, yes! By crushing days, bay caging nights, by scar of thorn and stony ways,
These blessings are!
- taken from streams in the desert
I always hated the fact that the world has become a place filled with hatred and that compassion and grace are sadly scarce. Through personal experiences I have often wondered why it is that we have to bear with the pain of it. Reading this devotional reminded me of God's wisdom in all things he allows.
God comforts us not to make us comfortable but to make us comforters. John Henry Jowett
