Lamentations 3:22–23
My favorite verses are Lamentations 3:22–23. Some people might find it odd that what feels like a downer book of the Bible holds my favorite promises! Maybe it’s because I have felt sadness and anxiety in my life that this book of the Bible calls out to my needy soul. I can easily be a glass-half-full girl. I have to often push myself to find the joy on hard days. I often borrow tomorrow’s worries. I play the “what if” game in my head way too often. I feel loss big. I mourn over losing others greatly. I distance myself from others to protect myself from loss.
During times when I realize I’m stuck in the mucky muck and withdrawing from life, I remember “God’s mercies are new every morning.” I remember my to-do list isn’t 2 months long but just for tomorrow. I remember I’ve got the Holy Spirit with me to guide me through tough times. I remember the ending to my worldly life means the beginning of a heavenly life, and no matter how my life might end, that promise cannot be broken. I remind myself that “I have the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. Where? Down in my heart! Down in my heart to stay!” And when I choose to focus on all the blessings with a heart of gratitude, the mucky gray rainy days don’t seem so bad.
God calls me to communicate with him. When I answer that call and spend time with him daily, it’s much easier to have God-ordained steps in my day. We all have seasons of gloominess but God promises to be with us on the mountaintops and in the valleys. Keeping my focus on his will to form my way leads me to abundant living. Abiding in him gives me hope. I Have a friend dealing with cancer right now and every single day she ends the day with a Facebook post that shares the blessings she experienced on that day. As I read her posts and contemplate the hard times she is enduring, I stand amazed at her desire and fortitude to focus on the good. God is using her testimony in this journey for a negative Nellie like myself to see. Sweet Tina has the ability to find the good in the midst of some tough days. She has been an encouragement to me in ways she probably never expected. For this part of her journey, I am forever thankful. Love you, Tina.
