Thankfully and Without Trembling: Outside Reading

By gracious powers so wonderfully sheltered,

And confidently waiting come what may,

we know that God is with us night and morning,

and never fails to greet us each new day.

Yet is this heart by its old foe tormented,

Still evil days bring burdens hard to bear;

Oh, give our frightened souls the sure salvation

for which, O Lord, You taught us to prepare.

And when this cup You give is filled to brimming

With bitter suffering, hard to understand,

we take it thankfully and without trembling,

out of so good and so beloved a hand.

Yet when again in this same world You give us

The joy we had, the brightness of Your Sun,

we shall remember all the days we lived through,

and our whole life shall then be Yours alone.

This poem is called Thankfully and Without Trembling by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer wrote this while he was a prisoner in a concentration camp before his death. I think this poem is beautifully written. Bonhoeffer reminds us that God never intended life to be easy, and so, our hearts must be prepared for anything. But without suffering, we would not know what joy feels like. God works in mysterious ways, and he always reminds us of how precious life is. God teaches us to find patience and joy in the midst of our sufferings. Therefore, we will always be reminded of God's love and take away the best from any situation.