Choosing Joy!

Last week I watched helplessly as my 4 year old daughter, Hannah, came down with a really awful virus that developed quickly into croup.  All of the sudden she was coughing so hard she couldn't breathe.  I don't know if there is anything worse as a parent than to see your child so sick, and struggling to breathe.  We have watched all 3 of our children go through this at some point.  Elijah with his asthma, and Kellen right after he was born.  Its a horrible feeling as a parent to see that.  Oh, how it makes your heart ache.  I took Hannah immediately into the bathroom, shut the door and turned on a hot shower, and we steamed for about 10-15 mins.  The next morning we were in the doctors office for an emergency breathing treatment with epinephrine to open up her airways.  We watched her fever go as high as 103.5, causing her to be a little bit delirious, talking about things that we didn't understand.  As I sat on the couch that evening, my heart aching for my little girl, wanting to do something, anything to try to help her.  But there was nothing else we could do.  Her body just had to work through it.  I was praying for her silently when the thought of the crucifixion and death of Jesus entered my mind.  I began to think about God sending His one and only Son to earth knowing the excruciating pain that he would face.  It was a reminder to me of just how much God loves us.  He knew that the only way for us to be saved, for us to be together, would be to send His only Son, Jesus, to painfully take on all of the sin of humanity.  God watched as they beat him, and hung him on the cross with nails in his hands and feet, and watched him struggle to breathe as he hung on the cross.  I was reminded that God does know our pains, our sorrows, our struggles.  He knows the difficulties we face as parents.  Peace began to wash over me as I could feel the love of my God and my Saviour wrap His arms around me.  It was almost as if I heard him say "It's OK.  I understand your heartache.  But fret not my love, for I have overcome the world.  I have defeated the power of death. Fear not, for I am with you. I will bring you through this. Rest in my love tonight and be restored."
I think so many times we allow ourselves to so overwhelmed with our current circumstances that we forget what Jesus did for us!  Because he died and rose again, we can walk in victory, we can overcome every single day!  Even if the circumstances don't change, or things don't go the way we would like them to, we can rest in His love and be restored daily, knowing that God loves us.  He sees us.  He knows what we are going through, and He is right there just waiting for us to ask for Him.  We can choose to walk in peace and joy no matter what we are facing!  That is the true freedom of Christ!  But it is a choice.  It is not something that always comes easily.  Sometimes we just don't feel like it, and it would be easier to feel sorry for ourselves and allow discouragement to settle in.  But with Jesus, we have the choice to overcome.  Stand up, believe and receive the freedom that Christ so mercifully and graciously has given to us!  I'm choosing peace and joy today, and everyday!