Thursday, March 24
Joy in Hard Times
You reveal the path of life to me; in Your presence is abundant joy; in Your right hand are eternal pleasures. —Psalm 16:11 (CSB)
Have you ever prayed for something and God answers your prayer but not the way you wanted it answered? Christmas was only a week away, and I was missing seeing my son Kevin and spending time with him. Kevin had been working a lot and hadn’t been around as much. So what did I do? I prayed and asked God to help me spend more time with Kevin.
I had just gotten out of the shower when my phone rang. It was Kevin.
“What’s wrong, Kevin?” I asked.
“My car broke down; the clutch is not working. I’m stuck in the middle of Staring Lane,” he replied.
“Give me five minutes, and I’ll be there,” I said as I hurried to get dressed.
As of today Kevin’s car has been in the shop for over a month. I’ve had to take him to work, pick him up, or sometimes both. I came to the realization that this was God’s answer to my prayer. I got to see Kevin at least once a day and spend a little quality time with him. One night Mariah Carey’s “Always Be My Baby” played on the radio. I couldn’t help but smile, as I reminisced about holding Kevin and singing this song to him as we danced around the room. After a minute or two into the song I looked at Kevin and said, “This is so funny. I used to sing this to you when you were little.”
“Mom, I remember,” he said, looking at me.
“Really?” I said, shocked beyond belief.
“Yes, as well as all the other songs,” he said.
My heart was so full I choked up. God didn’t answer my prayer in the way I would have wanted. We had car problems, and I was tired of taking my son to and from work. Yet He allowed us to experience a special moment together. Even in hard times God provides just a little bit of joy to keep us going. I hope we get Kevin’s car back soon but until then, I’ll enjoy the ride.
Dear God, thank you for allowing us to have joy even when things aren’t going well. Thank you for small moments and special times with family and friends. We love you and praise you for the work you’re doing on the inside of each of us. In Jesus name, amen.
L. Darlene Dickson