"Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, "The Lord has done great things for them." The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy."
This weekend I listened and watched as my niece, my exchange student and friends joined me at a bonfire. I saw beautiful smiles spread across their faces and laughter that brought them to tears of pure joy. To hear them, to see that on their face is priceless. The memories that were made will be everlasting. Its these moments that the rest of the world and all it has to offer both good and bad are shut out and for just a few moments there is nothing but pure joy to be experienced.
As I sat in my chair Saturday night and watched the girls just be girls and not worry about anything but the fun they were having, I had to say thank you to a God who gives us moments of timeout from the storms of life. In those evening hours under a blanket of stars, cicadas making songs in the trees, the crackling of a warm fire and the smell of the burning wood... in that moment my entire world was perfect and joy-filled. My girls that I love and watch over were happy, safe, and were just enjoying being young and carefree. No cares of school, boys, social media or what anyone else thought. They were just in the moment loving what nature provided. I am sure God was watching and smiling as he watched his little princesses dance under the light of the stars and moon, laughing from deep within their souls. My soul was filled to overflowing with pure joy of having this moment with them.
While we were going over the rules of "snipe hunting" (many around my age will know EXACTLY what this is) there were others that I love deeply enduring and pressing through their storm of life. While I was asking my girls not to google what snipe hunting was (would ruin the whole game), there were others near to me that were doing all the research they could to find answers to their storm. While my girls were out in the darkness listening and seeking out "snipes", my other loved ones were listening to professionals, sitting in a darkness and seeking out possibilities and options to deal with the oncoming storm and how to survive it.
Its a storm I'm too familiar with and its one that I wish I could guide them through and provide them with hope and a claim to joy at the end of battle that lies ahead. God knows the answers and he uses the good and the bad for his glory but we don't always understand his plans that get us to where we need to go...but I share with my precious loved ones... God will restore your joy again. This is the only thing I know for certain and the only bit of hope I can give as you step through your storm. Hold onto his mighty hand and rest in the knowledge that "you know the Master of the wind, you know the maker of the rain, He can calm the storm, make the sun shine again.... you know the Master of the Wind."
Many of my loved ones are struggling through hard times, not sure from day to day what the answer is but simply pressing forward trusting God to take care of their needs and meet them where they are. We all are either in a storm, about to go into a storm or just coming out of one. I think for many of us the sight of a rainbow beautifully reminds us that God promises us a hope after a long rough battle on the seas of life, after the storm has cleared. Have you ever noticed the air after a storm? Its fresh, clean of all the garbage we pollute it with. I love the smell of the air after a good rain. It refreshes my whole being. Its in those moments I breathe a bit better and appreciate the sun as it begins to peek through the clouds that start to pass by. The storm clouds sometimes last for a brief moment and sometimes they stick around for a while...but they always give way to the sun. Our struggles and trials sometimes stick around for a while but they ALWAYS give way to the SON. Jesus went to that cross so that we could have pure joy again.
What storms are you facing that you need God to show you a sign that his promises are everlasting? When is the last time you just stopped for a breath and looked up to the heavens and just gazed at his beauty he has created for you? Even if you are in the middle of a storm, there are still moments to cling to that will sustain you til the storm clouds pass again.
Under His Wings,
Heather
