Mid-Summer Thunderstorm

My life is exciting.

Well, let me rephrase that...I think my life is exciting. No, no, I was right the first time...my life is stinkin' exciting!!

I've had this thought lately and it's a thought that has surprisingly stirred the "excitement" pot that is built inside of me.

I was driving over to a friend's house the other day, it was sunny, I felt clean, and it was a Saturday. Half way there I had this intruding thought, "I'm happy." I think I even smiled while I thought it. I quickly laughed, asked God where the heck that came from all of a sudden, and why is it that it struck and quickly interrupted my whole thought process. This thought was similar to the surprise and shock everyone seems to encounter at least once when a lightning bolt flashes across the grey sky in the midst of a storm. I've been having a rough couple of months. Work is hard, stretching, and at some points can be a bit draining. Don't get me wrong, I'm being stretched and growing...but I do have my days where I'd like to put my foot down and say I'm done growing.

Fortunately for me, I don't get that option.

Anyways...back to my story. God immediately showed me that I have tons of reasons to be happy, and yet all I see is the one reason to feel heavy and forget that I am blessed beyond all reason.

It was an amazing thought to me.

God began to remind me where I'm at, what I'm involved in, and where my heart is for my work, ministry, and etc. It's like I had forgotten about all those wonderful things that first came from the "excitement" pot. (Ok, ok let's give it another name...how about, my heart? That'll have to do.) Imparting to girls, loving the unlovely at my work, and pursuing God like the roots of a plant that continually digs deeper until the water in the soil is found is what my life is beginning to consist of and I couldn't be happier.

"Wow," I thought to myself. I have allowed my grey skies and windy evenings to overpower the beauty of a mid-summer thunderstorm. Relationships that needed to be cultivated were left on the shelf. I've forgotten about why I get to be at my work and who I get to influence. I had this false thought that life is incredibly difficult and not something to be joyful about.

I was wrong. All wrong. So wrong. Amazingly wrong...abundantly...well you get the point. God has blessed me. My life is wonderful. I have been given forgiveness, grace, strength, victory, and joy. Why not walk in it? I have to say it's changed my whole perspective on the difficult people at work. And, to bring this longer than expected story to a close; that one quick conversation with God on the way to a friend's house has sparked a new excitement inside of my life at where God is moving, how He's moving, and how I get to be apart of it all. Not only that but be apart of God's plan for my life with joy.

Joy makes circumstances a lot better. It's like the crust to cheese cake. Yeah, we all like the cheese cake, but the crust tops it off. And, personally cheesecake wouldn't be as good without the crust. For example, this picture. A little joy mixed in with goofiness makes a combination of such a great and personal favorite.

Enjoy!

Have a wonderful day!