
Dear Friend,
This poem came to me years ago, while I was at the seashore for a personal retreat in Ocean City, New Jersey.
I got dressed early one morning and walked the short distance to the boardwalk, arriving just as the sun was rising over the ocean. Moments later I sat down on a large rock near water’s edge; my eyes feasting on the never-ending waves crashing against the rocks along the shoreline.
The scene before my awestruck eyes was a picture of God’s never-ending love crashing through the walls of my barren heart. It wasn’t long before the words of this poem filled the pages of my journal, echoing the new found joy I had long awaited.
Joy in the morning,
How I welcome Your Presence.
Jesus . . . Sweet Rose of Sharon,
Joy of my life.
Joy at noontime,
Your presence always welcomed,
Giving strength from above.
Jesus . . . You are my Joy!
Joy in the evening,
Your presence lingers still,
While I wait in silence,
You whisper . . . “Peace be still. “
Joy at nighttime,
Sweet communion with the Lord.
Darkness and light are alike to you.
Jesus . . . Joy of my nights!
Joy of my Beloved . . . your love is endless, filling the earth as the waters cover the sea.
It just keeps coming, coming towards me. This Joy . . . filling, and infusing new life,
boundless and free.
Weeping may endure for the night,
but Joy comes in the morning.
Psalm 30:5