Consider it Joy

This past weekend was special for a few different reason. One being, that it was the start of my spring break! Oh how I have longed for this week to come where I would have no classes to attend and no assignments to turn in. The most important reason is, my mom celebrated her 59th birthday this past Sunday, March 11th and I flew home to attend a surprise birthday party that my brother and I threw for her.

Birthdays are days that the majority of people look forward to. It's a day that you can have a free pass to be totally self consumed. A day that you can expect to receive tons of phone calls, emails, text messages, packages in the mail, ect. A day that you can expect to laugh uncontrollably and just be happy.

Well, my mom's birthday involves all of those things, but it also involves a different set of emotions. You see, two years ago my mom's mom (my grandmother) passed away on March 11th.....my mom's birthday. I remember the day quite vividly. My brother and I were planning to take my mom out to eat for her special day, but before we could finalize the plans, we received a phone call early that morning that our grandmother had passed away in her sleep. That is a day I will never forget.

I wish I could say that I responded appropriately to that situation, but I didn't. I was honestly really upset with the Lord and I didn't understand out of all the days He could have chosen, why in the world would He choose my mom's birthday. I felt like my mom's birthday would be ruined for the rest of her life and on a day where we should be honoring and celebrating our mom, my brother and I would have to also mourn the death of our grandmother.

So you can only imagine my response when my brother told me that he wanted to throw her a surprise birthday party this year. I couldn't understand for the life of me why he would want to do that because I had my mind made up that my mom's birthday would always be a somber day full of tears and asking the Lord, why. But in the midst of my grunting, the Lord placed a scripture before me.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds". James 1:2

One thing I noticed is that the verse does not say to consider it joy in every situation.....except death. My entire countenance changed after the Lord placed that verse on my heart and I experienced conviction immediately. Why? Because the Lord's ways are pure and perfect and everything that He causes and/or allows comes from the kindness of His heart.  He always has our best interest in mind and that my friend is why we can consider it joy no matter what situations we face. So on my mom's birthday, we laughed, danced, cried, remembered my sweet grandmother and most of all, we thanked the Lord for the legacy that she left behind.

So, no matter what situation you are facing my friend, consider it pure joy because you know that all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord are are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28) and because you know that your Father would never put more on you than you can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13) and most of all, because you know that He loves you with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3).

Until next time,
Antrenette

P.S. Here is a picture at my mom's birthday party of my daddy, mom and brother! I just love these people:)