She Can Laugh at the Days to Come

I took a little break from regular Sunday evening services last night and instead attended a ladies meeting with my daughter-in-law, Rebekah, at her former church. We had a wonderful meal and then Rebekah's cousin, Amberly,  spoke to us about some things that the Lord was doing in her life.  

Something that she shared really spoke to me and I wanted to, in turn, share it with you. She told us about her friend that, when she first met him, he was so annoyingly full of joy that he just laughed about everything.  Even though she was working in ministry at the time, she just could not understand the way he responded with everything so light-heartedly.  At first, she was actually kind of offended that he could just laugh at life.   As a woman, especially a woman in ministry, she seemed to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders...all of her past mistakes, current issues, other people's pain...which is what we, as women, tend to do.

  She used our purses as an example;  we carry so much in our purses that we all have back pain trying to lug them around!  I don't know about you, but I never take time to clean my purse out.  It is full of all sorts of junk!  It's the same with our lives.  We tend to carry all of the hurt, pain, problems and issues from our whole lives around and never clean the junk out!

  What a burden! 

Jesus died so that we did not have to carry those burdens alone. He told us to give them to Him.

  "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

As she began to examine her own life, and why she did not feel that same joy as her friend, God showed her the things she was holding on to.  She began to search THE WORD for scriptures about healing and freedom. Then she cleaned out her "purse". She let things go.  She began to laugh again.  She found joy. 

 

Last night, she shared many of those scriptures with us.  Scriptures we could cling to and draw strength from.  I needed that.  I needed to be reminded that we have such freedom in Christ that we should have joy bubbling over!  (I just thought of an old song we used to sing as kids.  "Bu bu bu bubbling, bu bu bubbling, Jesus' love is bubbling over, Jesus' love bubbles in my heart"  (You have to do the finger snaps when you're singing this)     

(This is the only version of the song I could find on Youtube:    Jesus Love is Bubbling Over )

Thank you, Lord, for reminding me (through your servant Amberly) that you carry my burdens, you fill me with your love, you died for my freedom and I can laugh at the days to come!  

"She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come."  Proverbs 31:25 NIV