Every afternoon when I finish up my one-on-ones , the girls and I go play on the roof. A time where we run, play and over all laugh (a lot). As we started to play on the roof this afternoon at Joy Home, the water holder started to overflow all over the roof and rather then tell the girls to stay out of it, I encouraged them to play in it. Thus began a water fight and dance competition! We kicked, splashed and jumped in and out of the water. Then the girls chased me around a good bit trying to tickle me and drag me through the water. We then had our dance compition-of course I judged and they showed me their best moves. I couldn’t deem a winner thought because they all did such an amazing job (they’re all true dancers at heart). To top off this perfect time, we skipped and danced more in the water and sang another song about 400 times in a row (typical). It was a good day with my girls!
While playing in the water, my hearts was filled to the brim with joy and contentment. There was nothing else on my mind in those few moments then the joy captured in every girls smile and face.
{Contentment: a state of happiness and satisfaction}
{Joy: a feeling of great pleasure and happiness}
You would think that joy and contentment would be two things that come easily when you are serving others everyday and walking out the calling God placed on your life. But truth be told that’s not the case. Everyday has struggles, highs, lows, disappointments and frustration. Somedays you go to bed feeling like a complete failure, because maybe you could have done more, did this or that differently, changed the outcome of a situation, had a different attitude (the list could go on). And you would think it would be easy to serve people all day especially when you chose to do it, but its not. You know why? Because inside every person is [flesh], the sinful flesh of man. This flesh is something that even on the field you still have to ask the Lord for a renewed heart and purpose everyday, and for the strength to control the flesh.
2 Corinthans 4:16 says, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwordly we are waisting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” When I first arrived I read this verse day in and day out, to remind myself that I was not walking out of my own strength that would run out but, I was being renewed everyday. God has began to show me what it looks like to lean into Him and not take so much from my fleshly heart of joy but rather glean from the joy and peace given by the Spirit. Somedays are still hard pounded with stress and insucurities but one thought change and a few minutes spent with the father is a game changer on those days. I’m not saying that everyday, but, what I am saying is that when I chose to seek Him a situation, walk out what He has called in me it changes the out come of the day and how it looks at the end of the day.
