the sweet and the bitter

[by Brother Lawrence, bold and italics added]

1691. God knows best what is needful for us, and all that He does is for our good. If we knew how much He loves us, we should be always ready to receive equally and with indifference from His hand the sweet and the bitter; all that comes from Him would please. All of our sufferings will lose their bitterness and become even a matter of consolation.
Let us not amuse ourselves to seek or to love God for any sensual or sentimental reason. Such reasons cannot bring us as near to God as does faith in one simple act. Let us seek Him often by faith. He is within us; do not seek Him elsewhere. We are rude and deserve blame if we leave Him alone in order to busy ourselves about trifles, which do not please Him and probably offend Him. We should fear these trifles; one day they will cost us dear.
Let us begin to be devoted to Him earnestly. Let us cast everything except what is eternal out of our hearts. He wants to possess them alone. Beg this favor of Him...