JOY....

Psalm 126:1-6

When the Lord brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed. 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.

Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negev. 

Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of JOY. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of JOY, carrying sheaves with him.

The girls in my bible study have been studying the book of Ruth. It really has been an awesome study. Pslam 126 was one of the chapters we read this week and these verses couldn’t have hit more home to me than they did. Kaz and I went through a very hard couple of years with trying to start a family. It seemed like that season of hurt, anger, and bitterness would never pass by...If only I had seen this verse back then...I may not have believed it at the moment, but I sure believe it now. I cried so many tears before the Lord asking and praying for a baby...What He gave me was JOY and a little girl with the most JOYFUL spirit. She really has so much JOY and brings so much JOY to other people’s lives. I’m reminded of this every single day in even the small things that may not seem like much to anyone else, but to me I see the Lord’s hand all over her. He has given her that JOYFUL and caring spirit. I see HIM at work when we walk by a complete stranger who may be smiling or looking down, and Annie Rice yells at the top of her lungs “Hey” just to get a smile out of them. I’ve seen her hug a little boy or girl while playing who was crying, just to help make them feel better. She made a complete strangers day today, as she was the mother of the groom and trying on dresses for the wedding. She walked out of the dressing room to show her husband the dress and my sweet Annie said, “So pretty Mommy” and then as the lady started walking away she yelled “bye bye princess”. The lady immediately turned around and came and gave Annie Rice a hug. Little moments like that may not seem like anything different from other children, but the truth is the Lord orchestrates all of those moments for HIS glory, and HE is daily working in her life to bring HIM THE ULTIMATE GLORY. I pray I always see that.  The Lord did exactly what He promised in Psalm 126...We sowed with a lot of tears, but He has given more song of JOYS than I could ever say...He is so GOOD and FAITHFUL to us.