The Father and Child

Mom wanted this to be posted in memory of Kara.

From "A Woman’s Journey to the Heart of God"
By Cynthia Heald

The Father spoke:
Come. Child, let us journey together.
Where shall we go, Father?
To a distant land, another kingdom.
So, the journey will be long?
Yes, we must travel every day.
When will we reach our destination?
At the end of your days.
And who will accompany us?
Joy and Sorrow.
Must Sorrow travel with us?
Yes, she is necessary to keep you close to Me.
But I want only Joy.
It is only with Sorrow that you will know true Joy.
What must I bring?
A willing heart to follow Me.
What shall I do on the journey?
There is only one thing that you must do---
Stay close to Me. Let nothing distract you.
Always keep your eyes on Me.
What will I see?
You will see My glory.
What will I know?
You will know My heart.
The Father stretched out His hand.
The child, knowing the great love her Father had
for her, placed her hand in His and began her journey.

The Father spoke:
Are you ready, My child?
Yes, but I have nothing to bring except myself.
You are all I need.
Surely I must bring something, I do not feel prepared to travel.
Do not concern yourself with preparations. Your
journey has already begun.
But I am fearful.
There is no need to fear; I will always be with you.
Will You give me what I need?
I will provide for you.
What will you provide?
All that is essential for your journey.
And what is essential?
I will show you along the way. For now, you have
what is necessary; the desire to draw close to My
heart.

The child spoke:
Father, the journey is harder than I thought it would
be. I am weary.
When My Son traveled here, He became weary also.
Why is it so?
Because My kingdom is not yet established.
Am I nearing the destination?
You have come far, but there are still many roads to travel.
Will these roads be any easier?
The closer you come to My heart, the more intensely
you will experience My love and understand My ways.
You will become more concerned about what is eternal
and less concerned about the difficulty of the journey.
Sorrow still walks with me.
She travels with you by My design. She is a carefully
chosen tool in My hand to accomplish My will for you.
Sorrow has become more of a friend. I no longer fear
her presence. But Joy never leaves me! She has settled
deep within me. Will she always accompany me?
She will never leave you as long as you keep your hand
in Mine and let Me lead you to My heart.
Then she will be with me forever---for I have no other
desire than to know Your heart.

The Father spoke:
And what do you know of My heart?
I know that Your heart is the only worthy destination.
How have you learned this truth?
By walking daily with You.
How are your companions, Joy and Sorrow?
Now that I have a better understanding of
Your heart, I realize that Sorrow keeps me
dependent upon You and Joy enables me to stay on the journey.
You have learned well, My child. So you wish to
continue the journey?
Oh, Father, I only pray that I remain faithful and obedient.
I want no other journey—I seek no other Joy.
You will find Joy in loving and serving others.
It is hard for me to love and serve. How can I do it with Joy?

By taking My yoke and learning of Me.
As long as I am yoked to You, Father, I know I can
do anything.
Hold my hand tightly, My child. For this part of the
journey, you must receive My rest and learn to live for
all that is eternal.
Why must I hold Your hand tightly?
Because I am ready to place you as a laborer in My
harvest, and I do not want you to be so busy in your
service that you loosen your grip or let go.
And how do I labor in Your harvest?
By bringing Me glory.

The child spoke:
I’m nearing the end of my journey, aren’t I, Father?
Yes, My child, but there are still a few more roads to travel.
It has been a good journey. Thank You for holding my hand.
Have you lacked for anything?
No, nothing. I must confess I was skeptical that all I
needed to take on the journey was a willing heart. I
didn’t realize then that when You have my heart, You
are all I ever need or want.
What have you learned from your travels?
I’ve learned that being a woman who pleases You
has nothing to do with my family, my friends, or my
circumstances, but everything to do with how much
I love You and how deeply I abide in You.
How would you describe your journey?
As a journey that frees me to become all You created
me to be---as a journey of great inner Joy.
What have you learned about Joy?
Joy has always been deep in my heart, but she is
quiet. I’ve learned that I must be still to hear her;
Otherwise, I listen to louder voices that silence hers.
How has Joy served you?
She has faithfully been with me in all of my journey---
my trials, my suffering, my obedience, and my serving.
I understand now that she always accompanies Sorrow---
but her most precious gift to me is her tears as I
experience Your presence.
How has Sorrow helped you?
Father, I know I said in the beginning that I didn’t want
Sorrow to go with me, but she has taught me much.
Without her, I would never have wept over my sin.
Whenever I was deeply hurt or grieving, she took me
straight to Your heart. Without her, I would not have
known how others felt. I would not have known how to
love or serve them. And as You said, it has been Sorrow
that taught me to the meaning of Joy.
And what is true Joy?
True Joy is knowing and experiencing Your heart.
Is there anything you want for the rest of your journey?
In the past, I know I would have had a list, Father.
But now, I want only one thing---and that is to bring You
glory.

Once more, the child stretched out her hand.
The Father, knowing the great love His child had for Him,
took her hand, and they continued on their journey.