There is JOY in watching for HIM!

The book "One Thousand Gifts" was introduced to me at mid March of this year. Our daughter, Chris, gave me a copy, plus a journal to start my count. I have 172 as of this writing.
At this time, we were visiting with the grandchildlren and I was struggling with a tooth with a root canal problem, plus the prescriptions my doctors had given me. Not a good time.
I read through the book and loved it. Then, I knew I needed to to circle back and read it more slowly, more thoroughly. I underlined special parts and marked so I could go back later and , hopefuly, find them more quickly. As I write this, I know I need to read it again.
The past few years of my life have had a lot of "Whys?". At this point, I can see that I was moved where I was suppose to be, and to better things for me, for part of the answer. It's been an adjustment of great proportions.

There was a song a few years back that has kept coming to me....
JOY COMES INT THE MORNING (William J and Gaither, 1974)
If you've knelt beside the rubble of an aching, broken heart,
When things you gave your life for fell apart,
You're not the first to be acquainted with sorrow, grief, or pain,
But the Master promised sunshine after rain.
CHORUS

• Hold on my child, joy comes in the morning,



• Weeping only lasts for the night



• Hold on my child, joy comes in the morning



• The darkest hour means dawn is just in sight

This song has really spoken to my heart, and the book "One Thousand Gifts" has been another part of the process for this time.

The scriptures say, "Count it all joy." But deep in my heart, I had hit a spot where it was hard to even count. The scripture verse: "In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you...." I Thessalonians 5:18 (a verse I memorized in Sunday School as a child) has tied in--it's not to thank Him for the bad things but to thank Him in them. This brings me to some of my 1000 Gifts. We have a jonquil planted at the southeast corner of the house. It doesn't bloom every year. This year it put out two beautiful flowers.

6. Two gorgeous jonquils

8. Relief from pain

26. The jonquils are still with us (they got snowed on and temperture was cold enough to finish them off, it seemed to me...but they were still there until their time of blooming was done - so it shall be with me.)

4. Miss Lucy kinda likes me (She's the grandest cat. Teaching our grandchildren about how to love and care for a special critter.)

123. Hailed wheat -- reminds me how many times it's been good, SO good.

130. A cancer surgery -- once you hear it, you'll hear it again and again. This time no pain, no purple hand from the IV and ultimately, a good report. PTL!

So the count and the life lessons go on...with HIM, and surely to more than 1,000.

From Mary Lee Kues