His Joy

August 21, 1978
Bihar, India

"Psalm 145: 'The eyes of all look to You, O Lord, and You give them food in due season. You open wide your hand and You satisfy the desire of every living heart.'

"This expresses the grace God is giving me: Confidence and even joy in my poverty and helplessness. This is because He is the Giver, the Lover. Whose pleasure it is to fill the poor. This is becoming my fundamental consolation against which I match my experiences and decisions for their harmony or disharmony with Him.

"I am reminded again that 'When I am weak, then I am strong' for it is God who fights for me...
After some sifting in prayer, I focused on where my desire is; namely, to be filled with God's love for me, so that, in response, I can love and serve Him purely.

"For awhile, I wondered if it may be a bit self-indulgent to simply concentrate on God loving me but it seemed He assured me that nothing could be more appropriate as a subject for prayer....Since in all He has done and is doing in both the order of Creation and Redemption, His single desire and aim is to love me (and every person.)

"It is His joy to love and it is His greater joy to begin to be appreciated and loved back by His beloved creature and son. This, in turn, gives me true happiness...I am a son to Him, a friend, a co-worker and even the image of a Bride to Him seems to be appropriate!"