I had a great day filled with many blessings of little joys.
One of them was visiting with my Aunt Leslie. Conversations with her are never "small talk". She knows how to get right down to it. I love that about her. She asked how I was dealing with the pain of loss I had over the summer. She asked how I could just let it go and not take it back again...
The song comes to mind...."God is so good. He's so good to me."
You know how when your child is sick or has to go to the doctor to get shots....and you hate seeing them in pain....so you promise to go get ice cream or a new toy afterwards???
That's what God does. He holds us through the pain. Then he finds little ways to give us joy.
I'm experiencing the joys right now on a daily basis. Sometimes they're harder to see if I stayed up too late the night before and I'm grumpy....but they're there. God loves me. He knows me. I hurt sometimes still....Thanksgiving was hard. I wanted to stay in bed instead of be thankful. I guess there are times when you think you've given up the pain and then try and take it back, but really it's just daily. Let it go...daily. And watch for the joy presents God gives....Being thankful really is the only way to truly let it go. I Thess. 5:18 says this is God's will for me. How much more clear does it get?
I held a baby today. My friend Mindy had a beautiful baby girl on November 3rd. We went to lunch at the beginning of our pregnancies when we were just 2 weeks apart and dreamed of what was to come. Today we went lunch again, and I got to hold her sweet Ashlyn. I was blessed. I was so at peace. I didn't cry.... ok, until now. But now I cry tears of joy thankful for the sweet little joy presents God gives me daily because I'm loved. Little ol' me. God is so good, He's so good to me.
For the JOY set before Him, Jesus endured the cross.
Hebrews 12:2
And just think.... the biggest and best joy presents are yet to come...
