Finding Joy in the tough times...

This month, it was brought to my attention that I needed to have an attitude change.  I've been truly convicted of this and God's showed me how I'd been let my circumstances and surroundings defeat me instead of looking for the joy in the midst of all the challenges of life.  Finding joy while facing difficulties and struggles is not easy to do, but God's blessed and shown me the joy of His presence throughout many tough situations.

As I mentioned in my last blog, there was a possibility of adding a new member to our family.  Well... Oswall arrived a few weeks ago now.  Poor little guy, he is only 9 months old and has spent many of those 9 months in the hospital.  He was abandoned in the hospital last month by his mother.  So my tica mom, Olga, received him with open LOVING arms from a foster parent organization, Casa Viva.

He arrived at our house extremely malnurished and with many illnesses.  As you can see he had marks all over his face and had a great deal of respiratory problems, but Olga has taken him to many doctor visits to ensure his health is improving.  She actually spent the past 4 nights in the hospital with the little guy because he has severe bronchitus and couldn't breath without oxygen.  But they came home today!! Praise God!!

I mention Oswall because the innocence and pure joy he carries.  This little baby who's already undergone so much difficulty and suffering can light a room with his big grin.  One night last week, Olga and I sat with Oswall for at least 30 minutes just laughing with him because he would just giggle then stop and giggle and stop and giggle again.  If you'd like to see him here is a clip of it...

Its funny to me that I was struggling with finding joy because my favorite verse in the Bible is "Let the Joy of the Lord be your strength"  Nehemiah 8:10 I love this verse because it tells us we don't have to have the joy ourselves, but as long as we claim the Lord's joy we will with have strength in Him.  I'd forgotten to claim the Lord's joy and was allowing the waves of life to engulf me.  But Oswall shines the Lord's joy with his big toothless grin.  He's found the joy and love of the Lord through Olga's wonderful care.

I've found myself reading and re-reading all the verses in the Bible about struggles and hardships and what continues to hit me is that it doesn't say "if.."but it says "when..." The joy of trials is seeking the Lord's strength and peace during them.  I highlighted the Romans 8 verses about love last blog, but the following passage continues to hit my heart,  "Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love?  Does is mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?   No, despite all these things overwhelming victory is ours through Christ Jesus, who loved us. And I am conviced that nothing can separate us from God's love."  Romans 8:35-38


Nothing can separate us from the love of God and ultimately that should be enough....  What a bold truth!  It's not an easy way to live, but I am striving to seek the Lord's love to fulfill my every need instead of looking to everything else around me.  "That is why we never give up.  Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.  For our present troubles are small and won't last very long.  Yet they produce for us a glorty that far outweighs them all and will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen.  For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever"  2 Corinthians 4:16-18

I hope these words bring peace to your hearts as they have brought me peace in the midst of raging seas.  Please join me in praying for Oswall as he continues to grow and heal and for Olga to have the strength to love and care for him.  Bendiciones~