"Sadness"

It stands there like it knows me,

And I can’t get away,

I’m talkin’ ‘bout my sadness,

It tries to come and stay.

It ropes me and it rides me,

It digs its spurs in deep,

It’s longer than eight seconds,

Regrets too hard to keep.

And though it is familiar,

I hate it when it does,

The memories and the feelings,

It brings to me because,

I have had some bad times,

And miss the things I lost,

The places and the people

And paid expensive cost.

For those sins and trespasses,

The failures and the falls,

Seems like it takes a long time,

To cope with those bad calls.

If I could do them over,

You know, by God, I would,

But once is all we’re given,

To live life as we should.

But God has never left me,

And I am not alone,

Directly and through people,

His love and mercy shone.

Thank God I have forgiveness,

Thank God for healing grace,

That God that old sadness,

God’s joy can replace.

Lord, don’t let it ride me,

And then unsaddle wet,

Help me to refuse it,

Transcending peace to get.

Say good-bye to sadness,

And the heaviness it brings,

Cast all cares on Jesus,

Give thanks in everything.

“He will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair…” (Isaiah 61:3, NLT)

God wants us to live joyfully. I believe that, do you? Sometimes I think we second guess our joy, and wonder if it’s really okay to be okay. Many seem to carry such a strong burden of regret that their life becomes an extended exercise of penance, real or imagined, for what they did in the past. Or left undone. Or whatever…. We all have sinned and need the cleansing only God can provide through Jesus Christ. But along with that comes the relief that we really have been forgiven, the debt cancelled and the price paid. Do we have to deal with circumstances created by the choices of our history? Yes. But is there grace and beauty and joyous blessing and festive praise? Yes, for sure! Exchange regret for God’s relief and don't look back.

Lord, lift our burdens and replace them with Your joy, in Jesus’ name.

Art by JaNeil Anderson, janeilanderson.com. Used by permission. Thanks, JaNeil, and God bless you.