“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 ESV
Good morning, SweetSoul,
God is faithful, if we will be faithful.
He is a God of everyday miracles, isn’t He. He loves impossible situations. As long as you keep showing up to spend moments in His presence, He keeps showing up in your hours.
We are born with a longing for more…
more of this,
more of that,
more peace,
more time,
more understanding,
yet, here, on earth, we never really arrive at a full fix.
Just when we get close, the growth cycle adds a new ingredient that changes the chemistry.
Circumstances change.
The fight ramps up.
Grief catches us off guard.
Nothing is certain here, it has to do with perspective.
And, laughing in the kitchen.
And, crying on the closet floor.
And, begging God to show up, again. And, again.
I try to place myself in the shoes of a trusting Joseph and Mary. Each wondering, in the back of their minds, “maybe, I’m just crazy”.
I think of the lengths they went to be intimate with God Most High. The extreme, laser beam focus that took them from
talk to action,
dark days to light,
confusion to clarity.
Asking the Almighty, just like we do, “can You talk to me about that just a bit more?”
They did the same thing we are called to do. They fought for their joy. Was there an easier way to get to eternity? Was it worth it to be deemed nearly mad? Certainly, to feel they were losing control while losing everything else.
They felt the Light.
They trusted the presence of the Holy.
They learned, on the journey, that joy bends time.
In crazed devotion,
you’ll walk through fires,
you’ll get bloodied,
you’ll learn to be very thorough,
you’ll protect at high costs,
you’ll be pulled in to His power,
and then joy. Crazed devotion.
They learned that their joy increased, as their devotion increased.
And, they built a family
…based on the joy
…of the promise of eternity
…that began in a stable. It’s worth it.
Wake up.
Fight for your joy.
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