“…weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Psalm 30:5 KJV
One sunny evening this week, my boys and I hopped on our bikes to ride to a new playground in our town. As in many of our little adventures, not everyone was quite on board with the plan, but we were doing it and I was trying to keep on smiling. Deep down, there were some questions in my heart that evening and I was asking God to speak loud. At one point, I remember being pretty sure I heard Him, but I said, “I need a little more than that I think (ha).” Before I knew it, a dog was running toward us at full blast from his yard. We tensed up for a moment unsure if he was a friendly interruption and my boys slowed to look back. I could see their fear, “What should we do mom?” I responded with, “Just keep riding.” Thankfully the dog just wanted to say hello, and we quickly realized he wasn’t running back home; he was following us all the way down the road. When we were making our last turn, I said, “I bet he will turn back when we leave this road.” To which I was wrong! He took the turn and followed us the entire way to the playground. And when that dog got running full blast with ears flying back jogging next to my boys on their bikes, something happened inside of me, I felt the joy of the Lord and a smile spread across my face bigger than I had experienced in quite some time.
Some stretches of life are easier than others to remain joyful. To the world, joy is “a state of happiness; a source of cause of delight.1” Yet, James states:
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” James 1:2-3
So according to the world, my joy may fit in a tiny box on some days; however, according to God, I might need an entire town to hold the joy I have experienced from the many trials I have faced. But how can our faith being tested and our perseverance be counted as joy instead of our smiles?
Well, I think back to what God was teaching me through our doggy companion that day. It’s about our destination. See I have started imagining our life like a very long winding path through various terrains. Kind of like Forrest Gump’s run across the country, ha! Some days are raining. Some days the sun is out. Some days we are alone. Some days we have company. Some days we see exciting things, other days we have just desert around us, but unlike Forest who just decided to stop and go home, our home isn’t here. We may all head to our temporary homes at the end of the day, but our forever home, is waiting on us:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14: 1-3
See every night that we lay our heads down; it is like an overnight stay on a long vacation. Each day getting us closer to our destination and we need a lot of perseverance to get there. The journey has obstacles, flat tires, rude encounters, surprise losses, and challenges, but the final stop is worth it. It is like making it to the last level of an intense video game. Making it the entire distance of the Oregon Trail and every death, loss of power or strength, illness, they are merely expected trials on the journey to our Father’s house where He has a room prepared for us.
Someone is waiting on us. Watching us. Caring for us. He is seeing us flounder and struggle and sending just what we need when we need it to carry on. To not give up.
The day our doggy friend joined our path, God showed up in big ways and I saw His presence all day. All the ways He and every major loss I had in my life in the last several years showed up to say, “Just keep going.” Losses I had experienced from death, to heartache, to betrayal and misunderstanding were revisiting me with beautiful messages of hope. Flowers were emerging that symbolized ones I had lost, unique to my relationship with each individual or animal. A rainbow came out after a short rainfall over a building in which I had endured trials and struggles. And the dog, he brought back memories of my Oscar. My dog of 15 years who passed not quite 2 years ago but who always brought me a huge smile at his playful nature and loyalty. I stubbed my toe on a statue that looks like him and then visited his grave to find my grandma’s zinnias blooming and I had waited all summer hoping they would. Then a visit to an ice cream shop where the name of the day for a winner was “Oscar.” And I realized that dog, ears flying back running down that road was as if God himself sent just the right messenger to remind me along with all those who had gone before, “Don’t give up, just keep going. Everything has a purpose and you are right where you are supposed to be.”
I’ll admit, I was sad when the dog left us that evening. Probably like those in the Bible felt when an angel visited. “Can you just stay and never leave and help me through the coming days?” they probably wondered.
But God….
Reassures us that “weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Psalm 30:5 KVJ
We may be tempted to give up and our smile may have faded, but
“Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10
God carries our joy for us when we feel weary. His love can cover our tears, grumbles, and frowns until our tears fade, we can see something positive again, and our smile returns as we head back home to the room He has prepared for us!
Father, thank you for sending just what we need when we need it. For providing reminders to keep persevering when the journey back to you gets difficult. Fill us with hope, love, and faith today so full that we don’t run out for quite some time and can pour it out to others whose paths we cross. Thank you for not forgetting us and for seeing us right where we are and loving us no matter what. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Father, Today I Surrender:
My Joy
Show me the next step I should take.