How rewarding to receive a special gift from a dear couple who have been longtime friends! A kind gift---a book I had never read! A book full of kindness woven into life's complexities. The book had me at the humor on the dedication page all the way to the PROLOGUE!
Did I mention even a gift offering at the end?
Theo of Golden, published in 2023 when I had an occipital lobe stroke & I was unable to read without audio help. This timely 2025 gift became for me a book to savor.
Often I saw examples of where joy and sorrow could co-exist. It reminded me of 2 Corinthians 6:10 phrases "as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing, as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing but possessing everything."
"Sadness and joy can co-exist" as seen in the lives of some in Golden. Theo's "friend" Asher believed "for anything to be truly good, there must be love in it. He then asked Theo how does one know if something has love in it? Theo responded ".....That is the question, isn't it? And I'm not sure I know the answer either. But God does. (Theo of Golden, p. 129. Emphasis mine)
Amen. God knows the answers we need!
Throughout the book, I sensed Theo's wisdom was sadness can make one bitter or wise.
Hmm-- Sadness can make one bitter or wise.
Metaphorically, I'll take that one step further......
The choice is ours! But God knows the best answer.
