Merci, Joy

It’s a new year and it’s good to be back in Haiti! I arrived in Port-Au-Prince on January 17, and Wood and Cliff brought me safely to Pignon.  The bumpy ride felt so familiar and actually lulled me to sleep after a long, sleepless night in the Chicago airport.  Thank you to everyone who was praying for my safe travels back to Haiti.

The breeze feels nice right now as it tumbles in through my window, refreshing and cool after a warm day. Thrive for 5 went well today – Ester (our health agent who comes every Tuesday) weighed some of the children and we distributed some medicine and bandaged up some more “owies”.

It has been really great having Heather’s mom and two other ladies (Christi and Sharon) here for an additional week after their team from Spencer returned back to the States. They are all really special ladies. We have had the joy of hosting them until tomorrow and they will then fly home.

Sometimes, amidst all the activity, (riding to and from Savanette, quieting and laughing with children, and teaching English to a very bright and intelligent group,) I get very run down and feel exhausted physically, but more so emotionally. After pouring out all day, my “emotional love cup” feels like there are just a few little dribbles left at the bottom – not nearly enough love or joy for another person or conversation.

“When I stumble, when I fall, when I’m walking ten feet tall – Your love is there day after day. Even at the worst extreme, or after I have been redeemed; Your love is there and it won’t let me go.” – Joy Williams.

Sometimes loving people is hard, and sometimes it physically feels like there is no more left in me to give. I am so grateful to serve a God whose love for me never runs out or goes dry. It never dribbles but is always filled to the brim and overflowing – pouring over everything, everyone, and every situation that I face. His love is all-encompassing and forever and His mercy never runs out.

As I write this, I’m listening to Joy Williams’ beautiful song: ‘The Love of the Lord Endures’ on repeat. What a sweet and uplifting promise, that “the Love of the Lord endures.” So even when I’m running low on steam and love, my Lord’s love uplifts me and truly endures.

Not coincidentally, I was reading Psalm 13 this morning. Truly, the Lord knew exactly what I was going to need to be reminded of today: “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.” (13:5-6).

So even when I feel deprived of love or that I’m running out of love to show, I desire to trust in God’s beautiful, unfailing, constant, unconditional love- Because it undoubtedly forever endures. And when we do trust in that love, knowing that it endures, we find ourselves getting filled to the brim with His joy.

“So I hold on to the mighty truth, that Your love is here to stay.” – Joy Williams.

I praise the Lord today for redeeming me, valuing me, and loving me. He has shown me amazing Grace and has filled me up when I feel empty. My prayer is that you, too, can “know this love that surpasses knowledge.” (Ephesians 3:19).   When the love of God takes root in my sometimes not so loveable heart, it is then that joy abounds and only then can I shine brighter with the strength given me that comes from the Father.

Merci, Joy Williams, for writing such soothing and true words in your song. And thanks to joy that comes from God the Father, we can better look like images of Himself.

“Lord, grant that I may seek to comfort than to be comforted, to understand than to be understood; to love than to be loved; for it is by forgetting self that one finds; it is forgiving that one is forgiven; it is by dying that one awakens to eternal life.”

Be blessed today!

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Bondye bon :)