The deep Joy that comes from being in the Will of God

Once more, my heart is moved to reflect on how God's will is perfect in our lives and how the obedience and repentance, the daughters of humility are very meaningful virtues to let it flow into our heart. And in the reading through the Athonite Gerontikon, The Lord let me see how beautiful are the lives of those who turn toward Him whole-heartily; death to the world and follow Him through the narrow and straight way of humility and love in Panagia's garden.

Living in a fallen world with a big possibility of being harmed and experiencing pain has made mankind try their best to flee, escape, mask or avoid those pains. At times, the sting of those experiences of misery and pain may create a bitterness in the hearts and minds and that might make a person forget to love and be still before Him who lovest all.

God is merciful! In His great Love He never leaves us but he come to us and He became one of us and pitched His tent among us and visited us in our weaknesses and misery. He even came down to our lowest state and loved to be with us and to embrace us and to heal us, and He wants us to be with Him. He is The Way, The Truth and the Life. In the union with Him, through the Holy Mysteries, He equips us to live and love Him. He gives us His Spirit to live a new life. Because without The Spirit, man will only live and move based on deceitful fear and desires. And only in Him, we find the purest joy and love; as my dear friend once said, "rest completely in Him, beloved, and let His life be your only joy..." Only in Him we find our true humanity.

Thus, living in His mercy and faithfulness, we have a new relationship with pain and suffering. We put our trust in Him who had endured the most miserable misery to endure- in meekness and obedience. He made the cross into the tree of life. Instead of all rejections and grieves, He stood in love and compassion; He prayed for those who crucified Him and forgave the repentant thief. There always be God's purest love in everything He does and in the way He allows us to go through, yes even though it is narrow and uneasy.

This reminds me of what Fr. John Oliver said in his podcast in Ancient Faith Radio, and I would like to quote that in this post:

Life's disappointments are like the spiritual tune-ups, they help us to take a step back and ask a most important question: "Am I here so that I can get my way, or am I here so that God can use me to get His way?" Usually my way is best [only] for me, God's way is however best for every one. My way makes life favorable for me, but God's way, makes eternity favorable for as many people as possible. I think short term, he deals in long term. My judgment is clouded, His judgment is clear. I want to control even though I don't know what is best, God has control and He always knows what is best. Because I am sinful, my way is sinful; Because God is perfect, God's way is perfect. My way usually involves pleasure but often end in pain. God's way may involves pain but it always end in joy, the deep Joy that comes from being in the Will of God [as witnessed by the lives of the Saints].

The pain, disappointments and sorrows may seem always be there in our earthly life, but remember Him who said,
"Come to Me, all [you] who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. "For My yoke [is] easy and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV)

Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner!