When my oldest son was small I really wanted him to have a dog. (That is him in that picture above) There is something about a boy and a dog. It is a special thing and I wanted him to have that experience. I wasn't working at the time and our income was just enough for us to get by, so the number one requirement was that this dog was as close to free as possible. I was reading the local paper one morning and I saw an add for a small black puppy. The breed was "unknown" and all they wanted was $40 to cover the money spent for her shots. After my son was fast asleep that evening I left him at home with my husband and took a drive to the neighboring town to go see about the little black dog. I drove on roads unknown to me in the North Carolina darkness and arrived at the address the family who was caring for her had given me over the phone. What I saw was this tiny squirming ball of black fir. I paid the woman the $40 and tucked her in my jacket and proceeded to drive home. The drive was pretty eventful as I struggled to keep my eyes on the road and control the wiggly mass tucked in my jacket.
The next morning we introduced my little boy to his new dog. He was thrilled and the puppy jumped all over him and drenched him with doggy kisses. It was a match made in heaven. We talked about names for his new puppy and just couldn't come up with one. One thing we noticed about her was that she was always wagging her tail. This dog was never unhappy and was terribly hyper. She just had so much love for everyone that she couldn't contain her joy. So, "Joy" it was. We named our hyper, happy and overly-loving new puppy, "Joy". She lived up to her name. My one year old little girl would shriek for us to pick her up when Joy would come running. She knew Joy would jump all over her and cover her in dog slobber!
I was thinking about Joy this morning and those memories made me smile. The memories also brought a verse to mind that I haven't thought about in a long time.
Nehemiah 8:10
The joy of the Lord is your strength
Lately I have been overwhelmed and tired. Trying to keep up with the demands of being a mom and working out side the home can cause me to feel pretty drained some days. I know that lots of moms experience the same feelings. I have been praying that the Lord would strengthen me. He reminded me, when I read that verse, that my strength comes from the joy that is found in my relationship with Him. Spending time in prayer, in His word and just involving Him in every moment brings an incredible joy that creates amazing strength in those who call Him Lord. So much of the time I get so busy I forget that He is with me and wonder why I am running out of steam. He never intended for me to power through this life without Him. He wants me to depend on Him and commune with Him at all times. He is so good!
Father God, I pray for Moms today and Dads too that give all they have and sometimes come up feeling a bit short on strength...and joy. I pray that you would remind us all where our "joy" and our "strength" comes from. Thank you Lord for your refreshing presence! In Jesus Name, Amen.
The next morning we introduced my little boy to his new dog. He was thrilled and the puppy jumped all over him and drenched him with doggy kisses. It was a match made in heaven. We talked about names for his new puppy and just couldn't come up with one. One thing we noticed about her was that she was always wagging her tail. This dog was never unhappy and was terribly hyper. She just had so much love for everyone that she couldn't contain her joy. So, "Joy" it was. We named our hyper, happy and overly-loving new puppy, "Joy". She lived up to her name. My one year old little girl would shriek for us to pick her up when Joy would come running. She knew Joy would jump all over her and cover her in dog slobber!
I was thinking about Joy this morning and those memories made me smile. The memories also brought a verse to mind that I haven't thought about in a long time.
Nehemiah 8:10
The joy of the Lord is your strength
Lately I have been overwhelmed and tired. Trying to keep up with the demands of being a mom and working out side the home can cause me to feel pretty drained some days. I know that lots of moms experience the same feelings. I have been praying that the Lord would strengthen me. He reminded me, when I read that verse, that my strength comes from the joy that is found in my relationship with Him. Spending time in prayer, in His word and just involving Him in every moment brings an incredible joy that creates amazing strength in those who call Him Lord. So much of the time I get so busy I forget that He is with me and wonder why I am running out of steam. He never intended for me to power through this life without Him. He wants me to depend on Him and commune with Him at all times. He is so good!
Father God, I pray for Moms today and Dads too that give all they have and sometimes come up feeling a bit short on strength...and joy. I pray that you would remind us all where our "joy" and our "strength" comes from. Thank you Lord for your refreshing presence! In Jesus Name, Amen.
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