Sometimes It's Hard To "Find" Joy

I'm liking this "Joy Journal!" It is focusing my attention on joy during the day, even on days where I cannot locate much. I love that it focuses me on God and what joyful things he's brought to my day. It's been an awesome challenge for me and a better way for me to tell you what happens during our days!

Yesterday was an absolute perfect picture of joy. Jackson's preschool teacher's birthday is today (Saturday), so many of us parents got together and planned a surprise for the teacher that the kids knew about and then a surprise they didn't know about :) To give you a bit of history on his class...there are 13 kids in the class and 10 of them (including Jackson) have had this teacher for the past two years. She teaches two age levels so the way the program works is to move them from the 3/4 year old to 4/5 year old class but it's the same teacher. It's been an awesome experience and the teacher is fabulous and truly LOVES each one of these kids. Anyway, we began the day yesterday by having each of the kids bring a flower to her that she placed in a vase that the first little one brought to her in her classroom. So, by 9am, she had a complete bouquet of flowers and 13 "Happy Birthday, Ms Dawnna's!" It was absolutely perfect. Then, about 30 minutes prior to class being over, when they would usually be lining up to go outside, we parents arrived and threw a "surprise party." JOY TO THE MAX!! She was beside herself surprised and overjoyed...you could see it in her face, in her emotions and in her actions. Most of all, you could see God in the classroom. He was there, smiling with us all...I just know it. (Yes, I brought my camera...no, I didn't charge the battery :( so no great pictures!) Loved it!

Today, I realized that God gave me the ultimate joy yesterday...and a day today where I would maybe have to search a little harder for the joy. I've found it, but in a strange way. Today I received the news that my dad's cancer was confirmed, and in a more advanced stage than anyone had expected, including the doctors. They located cancer in the lump and in the lymph nodes that they removed. So, no telling what the future holds, except that he will have to have chemo and radiation and pretty strongly, probably. I talked to my dad briefly, which was wonderful. But, again I asked, where is the joy today, God?????? It took me the whole day to realize where it was. My husband is a Godly man, and I am blessed by that; and my son, well, he doesn't know Jesus yet, but he's on his way, I know by the way he talks and the questions about Jesus that he asks. What I didn't realize was immediately after I shared the news with Cody, he turned on praise music...and it has been playing all day. It was subtle, but I started singing the songs as I cleaned and was reminded again that God stands by me through everything. He will give me the comfort, peace, strength, calmness, the words to say, the emotions to share, EVERYTHING through all of this!

Right now, I sit here in a quiet house, surrounded by this music, as Cody and Jackson have gone to the park. I just listened to Point of Grace's, "You Are Not Alone," and found myself thanking God for the reminder that I am NOT alone. And, I am now recalling the scripture, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." It is James 1:2 ........ consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds ....... WOW! I'm there, Lord, in the middle of a trial and I am trying to seek the joy. I'm grateful that I found the joy today through music, watching Cody play with Jackson and getting a small but wonderful chance to talk with my dad and tell him that I love him!

Thank you, Lord, for the joy you brought today in unexpected ways.