This week brought my heart the, of late, rare luxury of spending time with a deeply cherished special friend. Life this past year, for anyone but Joyce, could have resulted in a well-earned pity party get together for an extremely difficult season of misfortune after misfortune in my soul sister’s life. However, this woman of God cloaks herself in counting her blessings, while refusing to count the devil’s curses.
Relating nightmare specifics is, in her own words, “not my story to tell”. What I feel called to share is the Faith, Hope and Love which graces each and every moment of her life — no matter if it’s from the heights of her dreams or pit of her nightmares. Would that we all, especially I, could tip toe through the daises and sidestep the grenades as “grace”fully as Joyce.
When clobbered by adversity, the number one tool in Joyce’s bag is her attitude — or should I more aptly say altitude! Joyce consistently and constantly hammers the nail on the head with her tribulation declaration “this isn’t going to stop me, change me, nor defeat me”. Not with any bitterness, but rather a grateful, faith-filled heart and soul, this Godly warrior stands up to whatever attempts to topple her outlook and Hope. Her fists don’t clench to level a knockout blow to the enemy. They clutch the promises of God as she wisely foregoes telling God how big her problems are, while boldly shouting at Satan how big her God is.
Joyce crosses tomorrow’s bridges tomorrow. Today, she swims the deep-water laps at hand while grasping the Cross of Christ and trusting her Lord is the only buoy needed to keep her afloat.
There isn’t any trial that pens in this spiritual soldier. She hops any, and every, fence before her. She understands freedom from God to keep reaching for miracles cannot be locked up inside any prison built by Lucifer.
When my treasured friend gazes into a mirror, she doesn’t see the shadow of a superhuman. She merely catches a glimpse of the reflection of the reality of the power, protection and presence of her Heavenly Father assuring her: “fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Behold, all who are incensed against you shall be put to shame and confounded; those who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish. You shall seek those who contend with you, but you shall not find them; those who war against you shall be as nothing at all. For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, ‘Fear not, I am the one who helps you’.” Isaiah 41: 10-13 ESV
May we all gaze at our trials and tribulations with eyes as deep and discerning as the lady I have shared with you today.
Uplifted in a Broken Down World 