It’s in the valleys we find joy

You know that… you know it’s a new day and whether you’ve faced it with dread or with joy, the truth is that today’s a new day.
Dear sister, dear friend, dear mama… today’s a new day and if you’re in the valley today,  it’s been my prayer as I’ve prepared to write this note, that *you* will rest in the Lord today.

No matter how the devil hounds us, especially in the valleys, we must determine today to quit looking for a way out of the valley or a way we could have, should have, would have done something different… we must determine to stop thinking we can change our yesterdays.

I sit by the window and see the beauty of the day and determine to seek only that which is good.  Today.

You have today.  That’s all you’ve got: today.  Maybe it’s someone you love, someone you ache over that has you in a valley today.  Maybe your life’s filled with regrets over what you couldda, shouldda, wouldda done.  You can’t see it today, maybe, but you will have joy through this storm.  If you’ve got a prodigal today, do something today… pray, call, pray, seek to communicate, pray, quit doing the stupid in your life and live the rest of your days — by the grace of God — according to all that He has commanded you.

If you’ve botched friendships, schedules, plans, relationships — whatever — you cannot do a thing about the yesterdays — in terms of thinking they could be or could have been different — but, by God’s grace and His work in and through you — there can be a change in you today.  Sure, things could have been different, but they weren’t.  So… today.  You have today.

May the Lord bless it and give you peace.

Two years ago today our dear son Timothy woke from a coma… I could not have known that day how many “new days” I would experience, how many disappointments I would face, how many misunderstandings, regrets, stupid things, problems, joys and sorrows, delights and losses I would face.  But, one thing I have held in my heart and in the forefront of my thoughts is that God is only good all the time and whatever happens, it’s not in the troublefree, carefree, effortless times we grow… it’s in the valleys we grow.  It’s in the valleys we learn to walk hand in Hand with the Saviour.  It’s in the valleys we cement our faith in Him.  It’s in the valleys that trust is imprinted on our hearts.  It’s in the valleys we grow in grace.

It’s in the valleys we find joy.