May you find beauty, light and rest this weekend.

Surrounded by the Spirit on Facebook

I had a busy week coming up. We were hosting the family for Memorial Day. My Dad would be alone for a few days at the end of the week, so I was going to ask him to dinner one night.

My husband’s birthday was in a few days. I had dinner plans with a friend one night, and a church commitment another. There were three articles to edit, and one left to write before the meeting with my tutor on Friday. Yikes. Something’s got to give here.

Enter: Blog Break. I posted “See you June 2!”

The Memorial Day cookout was really fun. I got the essays edited, and started the new one. Then, things changed.

My daughter had been texting us throughout the night, but I didn’t have my phone by the bed. I woke up Wednesday and soon found out that my two year old granddaughter was in a pediatric ICU with severe croup. I offered to come and help.

Now some people talk about God’s ‘sense of humor.’ As in I thought I was managing my time to get all kinds of things done. But the whole time, God knew I’d be driving 3 1/2 hours away from home mid-week to help. Well, I’m not saying God doesn’t have that sense of humor. But I learned a few other things.

Listen to my inner voice.

I was told I needed to let something go; that I needed extra time.

What if I decided to ignore that voice? What if I decided that I was just trying to ‘baby’ myself, or take the easy way out? I can fight myself like that.

The Lord was really trying to make it easier for me to go. I didn’t know what was coming. But he knew. I was about to be busy in a whole new way.

If God calls me to it, he’ll clear the way.

Every single thing on my list was canceled and rescheduled with ease. In the space of two hours, as I was showering, packing and making phone calls, every commitment was addressed. Everyone wished me well. (My husband just laughed when I told him we’d have to ‘postpone’ his birthday.)

So I don’t know if I’d call all of this humorous. But I would call it ingenious. How could I expect anything less from a God who leads like a shepherd?  Like the little lamb that I am, I followed him with no clue where I was really going. But I got there. And it was a blessing.

My granddaughter was released from the hospital after two days of treatment. She’s fine.

I’m so glad that I could help. And I’m glad that I can now look back and see how God took care of everything. Every step of the way.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:23

There is a gift listed here that is only three letters long. That small word encases the grace that makes life light and sunny. Maybe you guessed it? It’s joy!

The gifts of the Spirit are given by God, not only to navigate in this world. They’re given so we can be more like him. So if the source of joy is our Father, then he truly is a joyful Father.

Sometimes that’s hard for me to remember. I do share my happiness and praise to my Father. But I also share my wants, hurts, sorrow and confusion too. He bends his neck low to hear my whispered heartbreaks. He lays a gentle hand on my shoulder in the hard days. His strong, peaceful presence accompanies my morning and evening prayer.

I am so comforted by his love. But the one thing I don’t see? Joy.

It’s not that joy isn’t there. It’s all around me, because my Father is all around me. I don’t see it because I get distracted by my emotions.

When I look at a calm sea, my eyes go right for that one white cap in the distance. If I get a phone call from an old friend, followed by a thunderstorm, the storm takes center stage. Joy is in each situation, but I have to choose to experience it.

We brought our son home when he was two weeks old. We were brand new adoptive parents. When he started to cry, my husband looked at me with worried eyes and asked, “What do you think is wrong?”

I didn’t have a clue. I’d just met the young man myself. But, it’s usually an empty stomach or a full diaper, so I started there. That whole day was one ‘first’ after the other.

I know we were joyful. I know we were thankful. But it was a lot of stress, unknowns and fevered shopping too. (Not wanting to jinx the adoption, I only bought a few tee shirts, one outfit and some diapers.) So what do I remember most?

Oh, it was the joy. I chose to let that joy wash over me the first time he fell asleep in a heavy heap on my shoulder, drunk on formula. I would have missed so much happiness if I’d given into my feelings of inadequacy. Or the unknown reasons for crying. Or the sight of three soiled tee shirts in front of me…and I didn’t have any more.

Our Father wants me to look past my worries when I am with him too.

So the next time I pray, I’ll try not to get distracted by my own waves and storms. Instead, I’ll spend my time soaking in the grace of God’s presence. Hidden in that grace is everything he is. And he is joy.

Surrounded by the Spirit on Facebook

Linking today with: Sharing His Beauty