Rivers of Joy

My new favorite song is by Jars of Clay, The Valley Song..."I will sing of your mercy, it leads me through valleys of sorrow to rivers of joy".

I've been reminded that even when we go through those valleys, God places little blessings along our path. How often do we just go through life with our heads down, pushing forward...waiting for the pain of this season to be over? But then, we miss it. We miss the beauty of the every day. We miss small miracles like a perfect blue sky, the stillness of quiet moment or the sound of your child's sweet sleep.

Jamie had a little skate party outing through church....Jim was home, so I took a small "momcation" for the afternoon. I took myself to my very first movie alone....kind of intimidating. I'm by nature a very social person. The thought of going "out" alone is sooo uncomfortable! But guess what, I did it....and I had a great time! Julie and Julia is a great movie that I could have watched over and over! I won't give away the movie, but it was a good feel good kind of movie.

In that alone time, I discovered why I hate slowing down, being alone...you have time to think...but then you also have time to just Be! In the quiet, I realized that God blesses me each and every day without exception! It's up to me to be open enough to see the beauty in the small stuff! Last week at church there was a verse that I've heard a hundred times, but for some reason this version just hit me...or maybe it was that I really needed it at the moment!

2 Cor. 4:16-17 (PH)
This is the reason we never lose heart...these troubles (which are temporary) are winning for us a permanent, glorious and solid reward out of proportion to our pain.

These troubles only last a moment, but God has a reward in store for us that is out of proportion to our pain! Out of Proportion, not even, not just above...but OUT OF PROPORTION!

Take heart and remember that though the valley seems long, that river of joy is just around the bend...and God will be there the entire way!