“Lo, I give myself to you …”

I finally had some (relatively) uninterrupted time to read through all of the cards and letters that came after our miscarriage. I was truly blessed, encouraged, and loved by the words that each friend wrote. Thank you again to everyone who reached out to us and loved us in this way.

One of the cards included a lengthy excerpt from Joseph Alleine’s little book, The Precious Promises of the Gospel. It ministered to Fred and me and we thought you might enjoy it too:

“From the curse of the Cross I will deliver you. Afflictions shall prove a wholesome cup to you; your Lord has drunk the venom into His own body and what remains for you is but a healthful potion which I promise shall work for your good.

Be not afraid to drink, nor desire that the cup should pass from you. I bless the cup before I give it to you. Drink all of it and be thankful; you shall find my blessing at the bottom of the cup to sweeten the sharpest afflictions to you. I will stand by you in all conditions, and be a fast friend to you in every charge. In the wilderness I will speak comfortably to you, and in the fire and water I will be with you.

I will be a strength to the poor and a strength to the needy, when the blast of terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. Your suffering shall not be a cup of wrath, but a grace cup; not a curse, but a cure; note a cup of trembling, but a cup of blessing to you. They shall not hurt you, but heal you. My blessing shall attend you in every condition. I say not only “Blessed shall you be in your basket, and blessed in your store,” but “Blessed shall you be in your poverty, and blessed shall you be in your straits”; not only shall you be blessed in your cities and your fields, but blessed shall you be in your beds and your banishments. Blessed shall you be when you are persecuted and when you are reviled and your name is case about as evil; yea, then doubly blessed.

My choicest blessing, greatest good, and richest sweets will I put into your blessing, greatest good, and richest sweets will I put into your evil things. These happy immunities, these glorious liberties of the Sons of God, by this immutable Charter I forever settle upon you. And I do in and with my covenant, unalterably, irrevocably, and everlastingly convey them unto you and confirm them upon you.

Yea, I will not only free you from your miseries, but will confer upon you royal privileges and prerogatives, and instate you into higher and greater happiness than ever you have fallen from.

Lo, I give Myself to you, and all things with Myself.”

Now THAT is a good word.

Thank you Elder and Mrs. Feralio! For your friendship, love, kindness, oversight, encouragement, counsel … for sharing yourselves with us. We appreciate you and love you very much.

And for all the rest of us — I really pray that we will ALL (myself included!) go back and really MEDITATE on the TRUTHS of the Gospel stated in that excerpt.

It’s rich stuff!
Worthy of a second read–even in blogland. 🙂

Soph’s in the (empty) tub waiting for me to come and scrub-a-dub-dub for her, so I have to dash.

Love to you!

Your friend,
Tara B.