granddaddying....

A sweet, sweet moment

looking for turtles in the lagoon. 

I cherish these times with our grandchildren

more than anything in the world.

All five of them are special and unique in their own way.

Not one of them is loved more than the other.....

grace gifts from our Father above. 

I speak often of having the "joy of the Lord."

In the last few weeks,

I have grappled with this concept.

God has finally given me His wisdom into this truth.

Bottom line is this...

much of the time I don't feel joyful at all.

My heart hurts at so much sin and all that sin encompasses.

This week I realized....

  this joy is not something I feel,

 it is a truth I know deep down inside about God.  

This truth is......  

no matter how bad life gets,

 no matter how much pain I feel,

 no matter how my heart grieves and heaves,

God is in control,

God will see me through,

and one day,

the burden of sin will be lifted 

and all will be how He planned it to be at the beginning of time.

I may not feel joy...

but the joy is knowing the secret things of God,

what He has told me in His word.

I know how the story ends

and that revelation is 

the transformation,

the hope,

the everlasting,

 eternal joy that will one day be mine.

I may not feel joyful right now,

but one day soon

it will all be "counted as joy."

"The joy of the Lord is your strength."

Nehemiah 8:10b