He gently broke my dependence on those things that could never satisfy. The choice to hold his hand through the dance of suffering resulted in greater emotional freedom. I learned to let go of temporal things more quickly, and the joy of just living and being with him through moments of my days became more real.

As I have made time to search after joy, I have been able to remember all of the joyful paths he has already led me down, and again I am learning to savor each moment as one in which I can learn, grow, and love him more.

God has stepped into this world, into our lives, to assure us that we really can follow Jesus in enduring suffering for "the joy set before us," being in heaven with our Creator, our Father.

Read more about this in Dancing With My Heavenly Father.