Mixed Emotions

Our family is currently making it's way through the minor prophets of the Old Testament and came upon the part in Ezra where the people of Israel have just begun to rebuild the temple.  In the crowd, there are old men who remembered the splendor of the first temple and how it was destroyed, they are weeping and wailing.  There are also young men, who are experiencing maybe for the first time the thrill of seeing a specific place of worship dedicated to Yahweh, the God of their own people, and they are shouting with celebration.  In Ezra 3:13 it says,

"the people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shout from the sound of the people's weeping, for the people shouted with a great shout, and the sound was heard far away."

The more I experience life, the harder it becomes to separate out my happy feelings and sad feelings.   The kids picked up on this right away and said "it's like moving away".  We are so excited to be going back to the work we feel called to, but at the same time our hearts are sad to have to say goodbye again, and know that an innumerable amount of obstacles will come our way.  I am comforted to think that even God experiences this same bag of mixed emotions.  I can only imagine the sorrow he felt watching his only beloved Son die in agony, and yet at the same time rejoice to see his glory upheld and make a way for sinners to come to himself.

Just another way we have been made in the image of an awesome God!