In your life, what has taken many years to get right? How do you account for the delay? (Serendipity Bible 10th Anniversary Edition, page 667).
It
has taken many years for me to feel at home in the world – a sense
of peace founded upon the assurance of personal validity – that my
imperfections and limitations do not demand guilt and shame – that
I can say my piece in a context of peace. Even though I live in a
society that affirms essential equality, I never believed it. Others
were always more equal than me. I still feel this in a sense, but now
I appreciate that all people are limited by their strengths and
weaknesses no matter who they are or what they have achieved or not
achieved. What I have to offer is not unadulterated wisdom or
unrelieved accuracy and correctness or limitless insight. What I have
to offer is always flawed except in one sense – it is my best take
on the matter offered to the best of my ability in the best lights
that I am given. And while this is not sufficient to master every
difficulty, it is all I have to offer and I have been given assurance
that my heavenly Father desires that I offer it. He delights in me
not because of my perfection, but because of my spunk in the midst of
imperfection. It boils down to this simple realization – the divine Source of all things spiritual delights in his imperfect children
achieveing a generous measure of spiritual abundance and freedom –
in their power through love to transform smoldering imperfection into
the blue flame of perfection.
Lyrics including 4th verse to Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee
1. Joyful, joyful, we adore thee,
God of glory, Lord of love;
hearts unfold like flowers before thee,
opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
drive the dark of doubt away.
Giver of immortal gladness,
fill us with the light of day!
2. All thy works with joy surround thee,
earth and heaven reflect thy rays,
stars and angels sing around thee,
center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
flowery meadow, flashing sea,
chanting bird and flowing fountain,
call us to rejoice in thee.
3. Thou art giving and forgiving,
ever blessing, ever blest,
well-spring of the joy of living,
ocean depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our brother,
all who live in love are thine;
teach us how to love each other,
lift us to the joy divine.
4. Mortals, join the mighty chorus
which the morning stars began;
love divine is reigning o'er us,
binding all within its span.
Ever singing, march we onward,
victors in the midst of strife;
joyful music leads us sunward,
in the triumph song of life.
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