Joy- a reminder

 I mentioned last week on here that I have let my joy slip a little. This is a new experience for me. Never before in my life have I had to fight so hard for joy. Life has not always been easy, and happiness has not always just fallen into my lap, but that deeper, truer JOY has always been my support. It is harder to find right now, and that completely and utterly freaks me out. I was telling Mary Faith last night that Joy has always been the one thing that I was good at. Who am I without that joy? What else am I good at? I was a "Pollyanna", and could find the bright side to every dark thing and the rainbow in every rain storm. I'm not saying that ability is gone. It is just SO MUCH HARDER then it has ever been before. That scares me.

 Thursday was bad. 

 Friday was a little better. 

 Today is a new day, a better day. I can feel it. And my God is faithful. 

 I have been reading a lot. I picked up "Streams in the Desert" when I was at Mom's last week. It is a compilation of excerpts and poems, originally published in 1925 and it is just full of bits of encouragement about God's faithfulness. I highly recommend it. 

 This was part of today's reading:

 When from my life the old-time joys have vanished, 

 Treasures once mine, I may no longer claim, 

 This truth may feed my hungry heart, and famished;

 Lord, THOU REMAINEST! Thou are still the same! 

 When streams have dried, those streams of glad refreshing - 

 Friendships so blest, so rich, so free;

 When sun-kissed skies give place to clouds depressing, 

 Lord, THOU REMAINEST! Still my heart hath Thee! 

 When strength hath failed, and feet, now worn and weary

 On gladsome errands may no longer go,

 Why should I sigh, or let the days be dreary?

 Lord, THOU REMAINEST! Could'st thou more bestow?

 Thus through life's days- whoe'er or what may fail me, 

 Friends, friendships, joys, in small or great degree, 

 Songs may be mine, no sadness need assail me, 

 Lord, THOU REMAINEST! Still my heart hath thee! 

  J. Danson Smith