This morning’s blog will be personal!
Like many of you I made Christmas ornament collections for our children and when they moved into their own homes each of them was given a box of ornaments for their Christmas tree.
One year I purchased a set of ornaments, J – O – Y.
I asked the kids if they would bring those ornaments any time they were all together and hang them on the tree. I told them, having the three of them together at Christmas would make my “joy” complete. Over the last two decades we have only been with all three kids and their families a handful of times. In 2002 we had a family Christmas in Canada, in 2009 we were in Lake Stevens WA. Kaci was only present via Skype since she was in China, and the third time was yesterday.
Unbeknownst to me, Kaci had contacted her siblings and asked them to bring their ornaments when they came to our granddaughter’s house. All the presents had been opened when the kids disappeared into the kitchen and came back into the living room holding their ornaments.
Of course, I cried! Big ugly tears.
This morning my heart is so full – filled with the Lord’s love and filled with J-O-Y.
“Be happy in the Lord. And He will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Give your way over to the Lord. Trust in Him also. And He will do it.” Psalm 37:4-5 NLV
Sometimes there are those prayers of a parent’s heart that no one hears but the Lord. When the Lord brings the answer it goes beyond your expectations. Your heart is overwhelmed, and you can hear the Father quietly say, “I did this just for you”.
Last night family began leaving, heading home. Some to Washington, some will stay here in California and some of us will head to Arizona.
I want this to be a message of hope. Life gets busy and families are pulled in so many different directions, to so many different locations. Some by choice, some by necessity.
“I pray that you will be able to understand how wide and how long and how high and how deep His love is. 19 I pray that you will know the love of Christ. His love goes beyond anything we can understand. I pray that you will be filled with God Himself. 20 God is able to do much more than we ask or think through His power working in us.” Ephesians 3:18-20 NLV
Our Father’s love goes beyond imagination. He dries our tears in our darkness times and fills our hearts with hope and joy. Thank you, Father, for happy tears!