the sweet by and by

1. There’s a land that is fairer than day,
   And by faith we can see it afar;
   For the Father waits over the way
   To prepare us a dwelling place there.
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3. In the sweet by and by,
4. We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
5. In the sweet by and by,
6. We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
7. We shall sing on that beautiful shore
   The melodious songs of the blessed;
   And our spirits shall sorrow no more,
   Not a sigh for the blessing of rest.
8. To our bountiful Father above,
   We will offer our tribute of praise
   For the glorious gift of His love
   And the blessings that hallow our days.


-Sanford Fillmore Bennett 
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11. I was listening to this hymn Sunday morning and the lyrics caught my attention. The sweet by and by. The sweet "before long"? The sweet "eventually"? The sweet "sooner or later"? I'm no poet, novelist or linguist, but I can say with confidence there is something curious about the wording. 
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13. However, albeit curious, they are hope-filled. In the thick of today's sorrows, a land fairer than day can be seen from afar. And there, where we will meet He who awaits us, all will be well. We will be restored, right, whole, good and well by and by, "in due time". Until then (which is this "by and by") will be a backbreaking, toilsome season and life. It will be a process filled with pains and sorrows. 
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15. But God loves us sweetly. He does not let it remain a mere "by and by"; He makes it the "sweet by and by." It is good. It is saturated by His graces. It is filled with glimpses of the beautiful shore that awaits us. 
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17. We are in the sweet by and by. I love this truth.