prayer for joy

Last Sunday morning Rory and I were getting ready for church and I could see the weight of the world on his shoulders. He has a huge work deadline on March 1 and it is a big deal. Coupled with the goats, maple trees, farm chores and family life, we feel near the brink around here. But I saw him carrying this heavy load and knew it wasn't right.

Our family has spent a lot of time talking about Habakkuk 3:17-18 and what it means to rejoice in all things. Those verses say, "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen, and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, and I will be joyful in God my Savior." We don't put our trust in what we have or our abilities. Our trust is in God alone. We love those verses and want our kids to know the relief that comes in trusting God as our Provider and fully trusting in His hand for our daily manna.

So I told Rory that I think even with the overwhelm in our family, it is nearing disobedience to be stressed and burdened. We know better. We know where our hope comes from. We have chosen to trust in One God, One Lord and Savior of us all. And we have seen the evidence of our Loving God's hand over and over and over in our lives.

I told him that we needed joy added back into our days. Even during this crazy month. The thing about joy, though, is that you cannot muster it up. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. You may be able to put on a happy face, but joy isn't something we create. It's a good gift from the Spirit.

We went to worship and had a wonderful morning. We love our church so much and come home each week overflowing with Living Water. Sunday night we prayed together for joy to fill our home. To fill our family, to fill our individual hearts. Our Sunday and Monday were good, but by Tuesday I was spent. As Rory has been working at full throttle, I have been holding the rest of our life together. And when he came home Tuesday for dinner I was exhausted and just wanted to get through dinner.

He had Hattie in his arms and came over to me by the oven and said, "I wish I could make you laugh as easily as I can make Hattie laugh. All I have to do for her is blow raspberries on her cheek." He demonstrated and Hattie erupted in laughter. Then he grabbed me and blew raspberries on my cheek. Which was humorous. But then Hattie got excited about this game and lunged her whole body at my other cheek and suddenly I had a drippy nose and an open and wet baby mouth slobbering on my cheek. She sat back and clapped for herself, pleased to be a raspberry blower like her daddy. And something broke in me and laughter overtook my body.

It was over the top. I started laughing and it was instant hysterics. Ivar and Elsie sat at the kitchen table waiting for their tuna melts and Ivar said, "Dad, is mom laughing or crying?" And Rory replied that he did not know, probably both with pregnancy mixed in. And then it was contagious. The whole meal we shared hard, belly laughs about different things. Elsie told about how she could smile with her mouth but still have sad eyes and this led to some hilarious faces made by each member of our family. Every topic that came up made us laugh.

A holy laughter filled our kitchen the whole meal. And something lifted off of our house and our hearts. Rory has had a swing in his step ever since. I have felt a gratitude for so many things, but particularly this power that we have been given to pray for joy, and then to receive such a good gift from the Holy Spirit.

Today at church we shared testimony's of what the Lord has done and I thought about sharing this story, but there were so many people stepping up to share the goodness of God that I decided just to listen. But I wanted to share this testimony here. Trust and obedience, prayer and belief all yield incredible fruit. The ability to ask for Joy might just be my favorite.