"The joy of the Lord is my strength!"

A week ago Sunday was a great day! I couldn't explain it, but I felt different that morning. I didn't get to my devotions that morning, and I was running late leaving for church. As usual the traffic was frustrating and I started to complain. Then I just stopped and said, "Shut up, Trish! Stop your complaining." I immediately felt less stressful. Then, suddenly, the road before me just opened up! The traffic just sort of parted like the Red Sea! We wound up arriving at the church a few minutes before it started. Praise and worship was incredible. I felt such love and peace and joy and I praised God!

My faith felt so strong and I felt so encouraged. It was like God had reached out and pulled me up a level. I believe he has. Later that afternoon, I went on Facebook to a person's page I don't routinely visit. When I saw the information on that page, it was like a dagger had been plunged into my heart. My first reaction was to start to break down. I put my head in my hands and started to cry. Then I stopped myself and started speaking out, "God is still in control. He is still God Almighty, His word is still true, His promises still stand. The circumstances don't change His faithfulness or what He's doing! Thank you God, that you are working in my life and that you are faithful to your word. You aren't a man that you should lie."

And I let it go. I gave it to Him, I spoke faith and His promises to my situation, and I let Him take it.  I still find myself having to fight against my mind trying to dwell on it,and I find myself trying to pick up that load again. But it isn't mine anymore, it belongs to Him.

"...for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day."

That night, I got into bed and started doing the devotions I hadn't done that morning. The first one was about running to God with our struggles and heartaches, and how He stills the doubts and fears, and gives us comfort and peace.

The next one, from Joyce Meyer, was about remaining steadfast and persevering. "...in the heat of our struggles, the Holy Spirit is probably doing His greatest work within us. He is not moved by the circumstances. If you and I really trust Him, we shouldn't be either!"

After that came a devotional by Annabel Gillham. Hers are always in my top two favorites. But that day's writing sounded as though I had written it.

"So my emotions very successfully "unraveled" my fairly nice day about 4:30 this afternoon. Oh, it wasn't a horrible accident or anything like that: it was a "heart" problem--and I don't mean that little organ that beats inside my chest. I mean something very close to me--something that I hold very dear--was chopped down to the ground. No. Chopping would be a slow process. This was more like a chain saw working--fast, ruthless, no prisoners. I really didn't have time to "practice what I teach"--it was okay one minute and the next my little world had a huge bomb explode sending shards everywhere."

I had to stop reading; I was crying and laughing at the same time. Oh God, you are so awesome! So incredibly awesome! It still amazes me when He speaks so clearly, and is so wonderful in the things He does! Those devotionals were not a coincidence. They were meant for me, for that day, as surely as I am breathing. The Lord couldn't have made it any more personal if He had put them on post-it notes and stuck them in my Bible. What a wonderful, loving Savior!