My spirit was stirred a couple of weeks ago when I went with a friend to her chemo treatment. As we drove there she said, "Oh, did I mention that I like to walk around the building one time and sing 'The Joy of the Lord is my Strength,' before I go in for treatment?
No....but I was happy to do that with her. So we sang, we jumped for joy, and we laughed as we circled the building.
Later in the week, I went to the 2-day homeschool convention without my wig. I'd intended to wear a bandanna, but ended up going without any covering on my head. I think wigs are great! I've thoroughly enjoyed mine, but I felt the prompting of the Lord to trust in Him and to accept his 'covering' for those two days. It would have been much simpler to be 'covered' with my wig and to find safety in my synthetic hair.
So, I went. Bald head and all. There were several occasions when I forgot about my hairless state, until I noticed someones wandering eye drifting toward my crown. Lord, why did you ask me to do this? I'm feeling really exposed......but I will trust you. And He gave me such strength and courage that I did not know I had.
On Saturday, I was picking up my Currito Burrito at the Food Court when a woman from the convention came over, touched my arm, and spoke these words to me: "I just have to tell you that you have encouraged me so much as I've seen you throughout the day. The joy of the Lord is all over your face." All I could do was smile, thank her for the encouragement, and hold back the flood of tears that wanted to flow from my eyes. My tears were not of sadness, but of JOY. Because it was then that I knew, in part, why God had asked such a difficult thing of me.
Just in case there was any doubt, God gave me reassurance on Monday. I received a postcard from a dear prayer warrior at church. She had no idea what I had done the week before. She didn't know about my leaping and singing and laughing around the chemo building, or my experience at the convention. But on Saturday morning she was praying for me and my family. As she was praying for peace, God prompted her to pray and to sing 'joy' over me. The song "It is joy, unspeakable and full of glory" came to her mind. She wrote, "and in my mind's eye...wherever and whatever that is...I see you laughing hilariously. Then when I was looking for a card--I found this one! Do you think it was God? Must be 'cause it doesn't make sense." I turned the post card over. It read, "I will be glad in the Lord. Psalm 104:34."
Wow!!! Isn't God good!!
Well, as my week here at home got a little tougher, God wanted to remind me once more that His joy can live in me despite what's going on around me. This morning I received the following from another friend. She started by saying, "Not sure why I'm sharing this with you.....other than I feel like I was supposed to." Then she typed out the verses from Psalm 51:7-17. Some of the highlights in these verses include, "Let me hear joy and gladness.......restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me........O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise........" There are many other treasures in those verses, but I was drawn to the ones which mentioned 'joy' and 'praise.'
I pray that God's joy would abound in you as well. In the midst of the trial you are going through, in the midst of the uncertainties and frustrations that you face everyday, I pray that God will restore to you the joy of your salvation and will grant you a willing spirit to sustain you. Open your lips and let your mouth declare praises unto His name!!!!!
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