Before I share why, I want to welcome anyone joining me from my sweet friend, Karen Ehman's blog . Karen interviewed me for her 12 days of Christmas giveaway, and today is my day. If you don't know Karen, please pop over to her blog. Yes, you will learn more about me and have an opportunity to win a copy of my book, Hidden Joy in a Dark Corner, but you will also be blessed by my many other P31 sisters she has interviewed. You can register to win for all 12 days of her giveaway! You don't want to miss out!!!
On Wednesday, November 4th I wrote a post entitled "The Cry of My Heart" in which I shared my daughter's journey with scoliosis...a journey which on December 21st at 7:30 a.m. will culminate in spinal fusion surgery. Because the Lord had not answered my prayers for her in the way I had asked, I felt such emptiness...no joy...no hope...just tears and sadness, doubt and fear. I had "lost" my joy...or so I thought.
In response to this post, I received an incredible outpouring of love that rocked my world. When I felt I could not take another step, hundreds of you reached out to me. Your words fed my thirsty soul and led me to take my eyes off of my circumstances and place them on my Savior. Your words sustained me.
Through your love and God's Word, I realized an incredibly important Truth. It did not happen the day I wrote the post or even weeks later. It happened last Tuesday at the P31 office when I prayed with my dear, sweet friend, Melissa, over brokenness in her life. She shares this story on her blog.
As she wept, we held her and prayed over her. So many of God's Truths poured forth as we prayed but the word JOY filled my heart and God gave me these words for her...
J. O. Y.
Jesus
Only
You
I prayed them over Melissa as tears poured down my cheek. God shared with me that day the TRUE meaning of JOY. Joy cannot fill our hearts when we are consumed by brokenness, betrayal, confusion, doubt, bitterness, pain, and sorrow. Joy cannot fill our hearts when our eyes are fixed on our circumstances. Joy can only fill our hearts when our eyes are fixed on HIM.
Read God's TRUTH about JOY...
When your words came, I ate them; they were my JOY and my heart's delight, for I bear your name. Jeremiah 15:16
Do not grieve, for the JOY of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious JOY, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your soul. 1 Peter 1:6-9
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22
...so is my Word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out in JOY and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst out in song before you.... Isaiah 55:11-12
Friends, yes, I still cry as I think of the doctors rolling my sweet girl away to surgery. Yes, I cry when I think of the excruciating pain Lauren will suffer. Yes, I cry when I think of not attending worship together on Christmas eve. Yes, I cry when I think of not gathering around our tree Christmas morning. Yes, I wonder why God did not choose to heal in the way I faithfully prayed.
But JESUS!!
When my mind travels to those places, my Lord brings me back to JESUS.
BUT J.O.Y.!!!!
Jesus Only You!!!
Jesus CHOSE to leave His throne in heaven. He CHOSE to be confined in a womb. He CHOSE to put on human flesh. He CHOSE to walk among us. He CHOSE to be Immanuel...God with us.
He came so that I...so that you...can know His Joy fully and completely in us through any and all circumstances.
This Christmas...though it will not look like past Christmases...though it will not feel like past Christmases...it will be a special Christmas because I TRULY KNOW THE JOY OF MY LORD!!!
Let me pray for us...
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of Christmas. Thank You for Your Love as expressed in the gift of Christmas. Thank You for Jesus. Thank You for the HOPE that is ours in Him. Thank You for the JOY that is ours in Him. Thank You for the PEACE that is ours in Him. For every hurting heart reading this today, will You draw her heart back to Yours. Will You fix her heart on You. Every time her thoughts turn to her hurt or her pain bring her back to J.O.Y...Jesus Only You. Let that be our breath prayer, Lord. J.O.Y....Jesus only You. Your Word says You are the Strength of our heart, our portion forever...our All in All. WE invite You to be that today and each day of this Christmas season. We love you and ask this in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ our Savior and our JOY!! Amen.
Subscribe
14 comments:
Oh Wendy, I am so happy that you are receiving peace for this process. So many times since your post I have been going about my day and then the thought of you and Lauren pop into my head and I just stop to pray for both of you. It won't be easy, but He is going to be right there with you guys in the hospital. We spent the Christmas of 1999 in a Children's Hospital in Atlanta and boy was it a place of excitement. Santa came, volunteers were aplenty, gifts were passed out by all. We actually had a joyful Christmas if you can believe it because that hospital was filled with love and hope. Funny, right? We just pressed into Him through that time and He did not disappoint! I wish I had beautiful words of wisdom for you, I just want you to know that I love you and I will continue to pray for healing, strength and peace for all of you. You are not alone in this.
Jenn
I so agree with these beautiful words! Thank you Ms. Wendy and know that you and Lauren are in our prayers.
What a sweet, sweet prayer! Thank you for your kind words and encouragement. Jesus is definitely shining through you and bringing joy to those around you!
Prayers and blessings,
Rebecca
Oh, Wendy....December 21st? I had it written on my calendar for after Christmas. I must have missed that they moved it up. Oh, friend....I am on my knees and bowing my heart before God for Lauren, you, Monty and Bo. You are all loved so much. Please tell Lauren that we are all filling bowls of prayers for her!
Revelation 5:8 - "Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints."
I love your testimony of you and Melissa here. And I love all the scriptures, especially the one from Jeremiah. Oh eating His truth. Joy indeed. Jesus Only You. Love it. Love you.
Just got my December P31 issue! You gals all look terrific!
Much love,
Sharon
Wendy, thank you. I've been searching for joy and you showed me how it may be found. Sweet blessings to you and your family as you go through such hard days.
Ann
Wendy - thank you for sharing your journey AND your wisdom. My life has been plagued with broken-ness that is caused by severe clinical depression. Your words have touched my soul. I will cling to your J.O.Y. acronym during the darkest of times. Thanks for helping me see that joy is possible. Blessings to you and your family during this time. You will be in my prayers. Peace ~ Kathryn
This is such a beautiful post, sweet friend! I love the acronym that you shared for JOY! I am getting ready to paint those words onto burlap which will be attached to a sign to remind us of The joy He can only give. Thank you!! I'll hop over to Karen's blog in a bit.
Love you!
Susan
Beautifully written. You have such a gentle and graceful way with words. I look at my daughter (she's 9mnths) and I can't even fathom her experiencing the pain that you are describing here. I pray for your daughter. I pray that God matches her pain with His grace and comfort!
Thank you so much for stopping by my blog the other day and for praying for me. I really appreciate it. We have such an awesome God!
I will put on my calendar to pray for your daughter and for your family on the 21st. I love that acrostic for Joy. It's so true - we need to only keep our focus on Christ and all else will be taken care of.
Julie =)
Hi Wendy,
Your JOY prayer for Melissa is beautiful and now it is ministering to me and countless others. I had Lauren's surgery on my calender for Dec. 28th, but I am glad to know the new date is Dec. 21st. Danny and I are praying in JESUS' powerful Name for all of you every day, especially your precious and beautiful Lauren. XOXO LaGena
Wendy~
I wanted you to know that my 14 year old daughter, Haley just had her scoliosis surgery last week and she is recovering beautifully! She is home and healing and every day gets easier.
I, like you have worried endlessly as to why God would want to put us through this emotional trial of stress and despair over this surgery. But I believe now, that if my daughter and I hadn't taken this journey together, we wouldn't have become as close to each other as we are now. I love Haley more now than I have ever loved her before.
That surgery was the longest 5.5hrs of my life, but i made it through with lots of prayer, family and friends surrounding me with so much support.
After reading your blog "Cry of my heart", i wrote a response to you. Then i prayed to God for answers and for guidance on how to get through this with my own child. I went back to your blog & read below my comment response two days later, and there my answer stood in psallen's comment. Something made me contact her and ask her for help with my questions.
Psallen (Pam) was absolutely wonderful to me and was willing to give me any and all information on this surgery as her daughter had just gone through this over the summer. Her daughter was even great in answering questions with my daughter. They've become great internet penpals and online friends!
I really believe that the Lord guided me here to your blogs to find psallen's comment so she could help my daughter and I mentally prepare for her surgery and give us guidance for after surgery. I have found great friends (in Pam & her daughter) through your words and for that I am soooo very thankful!
Best wishes and prayers to you and your daughter in her upcoming surgery. I can honestly tell you, the anticipation before and during surgery is the absolute worst. The best reward though is when you get to see your daughter and give her loving kisses right after surgery. Everything else just becomes history...and a courageous family story can be told thereafter.
Lisa Kestory
DeLand, FL
How much is a mother's love - how much is your love for your daughter that you carried for 9 months, have rocked, cried over and loved on for years - How much more must her Father - her Abba Daddy love your sweet Lauren!
I love your JOY!
Just wanted to update you on the progress of my daughter, Haley.
It has only been 2 weeks since her spinal fusion surgery and she has the doctors amazed at how well she is healing and walking around. Doctor said she can go back to school at any time now. This is after 2 weeks~!
The surgeon reduced her curve from 60 degrees to 13 degrees...She feels great, other than the soreness which her pain pills make better for the time being. I have seen a new glow to her. This is her new start in her life and she is embracing it for all it is worth. She has so much determination to overcome her Scoliosis and is ready to share her experience with anyone else who is suffering the same.
This is the BEST Christmas present ever for us. I hope the same will be true for you & your daughter too.
Just wanted you to know i was thinking of you. This will be a hard week with all of the pre-op stuff going on and the stressfulanticipation. You will be in my prayers next week...
Lisa Kestory
(edandlisak@yahoo.com)
My Sweet Wendy: I've daily...repeatedly...have been singing this song to the Lord as a prayer for Lauren...and for all those I know and love who need healing.
www.youremyhealer.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmK9Wty9_TQ
www.karijobe.com
Kari Jobe - "Healer" (song #2 on CD)
You are on my heart and in my prayers continually.
Love,
Sharon
Post a Comment