Joy comes in the morning
**Imported from my old blog. Post is from Apr 13, 2020.
What a time to be alive!
Feeling like God has been pressing upon my heart something very specific this season that I wanted to share with y'all.
Gratitude.
With so much talk going on about the state of the world and what the future does, or doesn't, look like - I found myself becoming extremely anxious, worried, and distracted. I was beginning to spend more time watching the news, reading articles, and worrying about the impact it would have on my life and the lives of my loves ones, than I was spending in God's presence reading, in prayer, and in worship.
A lot is happening in all of our lives in relation to this COVID-19 virus and the lockdown it's sparked.
For most, the struggle involves finances, as people lose their jobs or fear for the survival of their businesses.
For some, it's caused health worries for them or their loved ones.
For others, major life events such as graduations, weddings, funerals, family reunions, sporting events, and festivals have been postponed - or even cancelled altogether.
And yet, the list goes on.
The impact this has already had on our society and economy as a whole is greater than anything I personally have ever experienced.
Currently, my husband and I are in an international long distance marriage. The chaos has left us helplessly separated by our countries boarders, awaiting the government's next announcement. Things shutting down means our visa application, which was already going to take at least a year, will now take even longer and we are unsure when we will be able to officially begin our lives together, in person. After not seeing each other since December, I had planned a trip to visit him and his family at the end of May, which has now been cancelled as well as all other future travel arrangements.
And so now, here we are - facetiming and texting in our free moments throughout the day as we try to keep spirits high and await God's timing.
It can be hard to thank God for the mountains he allows to be placed, and/or places in our lives.
But it is so important, through those trials more than ever, to have a heart of gratitude and to focus on all the blessings he pours out on your life - both the seen, the unseen, and those yet to come. Praising him through the storms is where true belief is proven. How blessed are we to have this opportunity to prove our love for him and spread our light to the world! How blessed are we to have this faith building obstacle that can bring us closer to him and his word! Make your heart so full of gratitude that fear has no place to reside! Worship him louder in the dark, in the trials, and in the waiting. The situation might feel out of your grasp and the pain it brings might be deep - but I promise you his love is mightier!
With that being said, I will conclude this amateur take on blogging with a couple of things I am grateful for;
For this season of life - as challenging as it may be,
For the mountains that stand in our way and the strength God gives us to overcome,
For the gift of music, praise, and worship,
For God's unending love, his word, and his promises,
For loved ones who keep us going when we feel like giving up,
For the small miracles that happen each day without us noticing,
For the hope that still walks with the hurting,
And for the joy that still comes in the morning.
I encourage you all this next week when you wake in the morning, before picking up your phone, before looking at the news, before working - think of at least five things you're grateful for.
Blessings,
