A mission to find joy

So it’s been almost two months that my dad passed away. The days can go by fast with the hustle and bustle of life and some go slow as molasses.  I’m not sure which days I like most. Sometimes, life will be going just right and then it will hit me like hurricane force winds. A memory, a piece of clothing, a phrase, a song, a medical bill, the boxes of my dad’s belongings that we have to step over everyday in the garage… it will be something that will bring back memories of my dad’s painful journey and the sadness I feel not having him with me.  The emotions that stir are ones that some days I can’t shake.

Today is one of those days. My emotions are everywhere, my life freezes so that I can take time to cry… but I still have kids to feed, a house to keep clean, bills to pay, people to call and most importantly, a husband that would like to feel welcomed when he comes home.

After talking to my sweet friend Bonnie who lost her father when she was 25 and realizing….that nope, not at all will I allow satan to take my joy. She suggested that I use my camera and document my joy. I’m going to mediate on it, thank Jesus for it, and remember those joys when the winds start brewing.

So, here is my first picture…it’s Colby reenacting the birth of Jesus with his nativity scene. The angel plays the song ‘Away in a manger’ and as I sang the song with my children…I found the words were just perfect for me….“Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay, Close by me forever, And love me, I pray”

Today I found joy in the innocence of my child who can smile at the story that gives us all a promise of a future.