Pure Joy

     Things are hard for everyone, I know, I watch the news.  Poverty, earthquakes, huricanes, wow.  When I look at all of that, I think, "I'm so lucky."  But really, what I am thinking is "Why are things so bad for me?' 
     It started on Friday, my son Elijah was really sick, fever, cough, sore throat, the worksand my son, Michael is just getting over something.  I go to pull some money off my card and, it doesn't work.  Many more times I try and, no deal.  I get in the car and go to the grocery store.  Before I go in, I pray.  It worked, I got some money!  later I go to 7 11.  I try to get some money out of the instant teller, No deal, again!  then on the way home, the engine light comes on.  Saturday morning, I got the rest of the money that I needed.  But saturday night we are all sick and early Sunday morning I wake up, my husband, Mark, is very sick, and I'm in pain and very weak, and Elijah is coughing up a storm.  Mark's blood pressure is 212 over 109.  He startes throwing up, and again , and again, and again.  I get on my knees. crying, I pray, "Jesus, help us!"  I turned off the TV.  I sat by Mark, who was still holding a bucket and a bottle of his nitro pills.  I pray.  Peace comes over me.  I put my hand on Mark and continue praying.  He starts praying, now and lifting his hands.  Elijah stopped coughing.  I feel God working.  Mark takes his blood pressure and it's 150 over 90, thank God.  Things are going to be okay, we go to sleep. 
     Monday morning, I wake up in pain and my head is pounding, fibromylgia.  Michael and I go to get the car fixed.  That's a story for another time!  I leave thinking the car is fixed but we are now two hundred dollars short on our rent.  I get home and go to bed.
     Tuesday morning we all feel somewhat better.  Go to take Mark to dialysis and the engine light is back on!  I cry.   This feels like a huge storm, but what comes to me is, "Consider it pure joy."  I look that scripture up in my Bible and I find, James 1:6 " But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."  That sounds just like what I've been going through.  
     I've been working on a story about the palm tree.  If the palms are going through dry weather, they will streach out their roots to find water.  which is a good thing because when a storm comes along, those palms, who's roots are deeply grounded, will stand.  Bend but not break, stand and not fall.  I wanted to believe I was that palm, but am I, I'm still here!  And I may be going through a storm but I do have roots that are grownded in the word of God, I may bend, but I will not fall. 
     James 1:2-4 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your Faith developes perseverance.  perservance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."  And, pure Joy, is what I'm going to have today, Tuesday, and however long this storm lasts.