Day 11 Joy Meter

I drove slowly through the crowded parking lot. Road construction made an already busy area, more congested. I was four minutes from being late to a meeting I was dreading. In fact I didn't want to be here at all and not finding a parking space would be a great reason to keep driving. In addition to this, my gas tank meter registered empty. And if I had a joy meter it would read empty as well. 

Just as these thoughts rolled through my mind, a car backed out of a parking stall right in front of the building.

Seriously.

Not only that, is was my favorite kind of spot. The stall on the end so I could get over to the edge where the person parking next to me, won't have a hard time getting out of their car. The only thing to do was thank the Lord and park.

I had prayed a lot about this meeting. This ministry was important and hard. The team had yet to really function as a team. There were a lot of issues but the one that pressed closest to my heart was that my intentions were misunderstood and my words had been twisted. Even worse was that I deeply cared for the person who hurt me. My heart was heavy. It just seemed like there was a road block at every turn over the last months. In my breath prayers as I entered the building, I was telling the Lord that I loved Him and these women so much that I was prepared to step off the team since it seemed I was the problem. This ministry was important and needed to move forward.

The meeting began with only two of us. She and I took the opportunity to pray. When the others arrived a wonderful thing happened. At each point in the meeting, the things that had long been a problem before were resolved one after the other without effort. It might not sound that amazing but I am here to testify it was a miracle on many levels. The meeting lasted less than an hour (another miracle) and when I got back in my car all I could do was praise God!

Several things that I felt God spoke over me as I drove away:

• There is a battle raging
• Prayer is the key
• The Lord had gone before me again. 
• If it is His will, He will move the mountains
• We may be misunderstood, but never by God
• Living for the Lord is hard work 
• I love it when God shows up
• It wasn't a victory for me. It was a victory for the work of the Lord
• I know joy is a choice, not circumstances  ....but I was so grateful to see how the Father showed His love for me in such tender unexpected ways. 
• My joy was renewed

Therefore, my beloved brothers,

be steadfast, immovable,

always abounding in the work of the Lord,

knowing that in the Lord

your labor is not in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:58 (ESV)

If you had a joy meter what would it read today?

More Joy For Your Journey,

Rhonda ♥