Unspeakable Joy

                                     "The joy of the LORD is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10

I don't remember precisely when I prayed for the Lord to grant me mirth, but I do know when He answered it. You see, I am not one who laughs easily. In part I think it is because as the youngest child in the family, I was often teased, and the butt of others "jokes". My family was also very "punny". Something to this day often that still makes me wince. I have learned to appreciate puns more now as an adult, but growing up I would often groan when someone shared one. Being married to someone who finds humor in almost everything has been challenging over the years as well, so I asked God to help me.

The day I recognized God had answered my prayer was not a particularly joyous day, other than recognizing I had been able to laugh at a situation. We were still in the process of helping my husband recover from his broken neck and the fires that destroyed our daughter's house, and had us evacuated for nearly a month. Power to the area was still very spotty. We had lost power several times in the month, which meant the pump to the well went out. Repairs were being made and we had a generator so not all was a loss. But I was feeling quite stretched. When our landlord stood at our front door and told me the power company would be shutting off the power for an extended period, I could read the expression on his face that he hated being the bearer of bad news.

And then it happened.

I laughed.

I laugh even as I write this.

It was the answer to my prayer for mirth.

Even though it felt as though the gates of hell had been opened up and we were being bombarded by things that could easily steal our joy, I was finally able to laugh in the face of adversity.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that God was, and is, completely in control.

That knowledge brings me immense joy.

Now it's not to say that I laugh at every situation. I don't. But there is an unspeakable joy within me that has grown much stronger over the past 18 months. Months that have been immensely stretching.

As I look over the events that brought me to this place, I could choose to wallow in the frustration and fear of what we experienced. It will definitely be a moment in time that won't be quickly forgotten. But instead of viewing it through the lens of despair and angst, I choose the bright lens of hope in God's faithful plan that He works all things together for our good and His glory.

I choose joy!