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Trials and Joys

This agony which I now face,
Fills all that I can see.
Such pain and hurt is there inside,
Much more than I can bear.
And yet, I know there's worse to come,
Which I must choose to face.
To my God I must be true,
And thus, a cross I bear.

But He rewards me for my toils,
So that I may endure
These sticks and stones,
These words that wound
This evil come to me.
He comforts me,
He gives me strength,
His presence calms my fear.

In Him alone can I find rest,
And see with my own eyes
How high above this mortal sphere
Are the lowest heights of joy
Which He alone has given us
In working for His sake.
This joy it focuses our eyes,
So troubles disappear.

But heights of joy aren't ours by right
Or wages for our toil
We could not earn this one reward
In a million billion years.
It comes to us, the wretched ones,
Quite why, we still don't know.
Just one free gift from one we love,
The King, the Lord, the Christ.

© Stephen Gray 1999
Deo Gloria