One Friday evening after work, Jim arrived at Walmart when his phone buzzed. His wife Ava’s voice sounded urgent. “Hurry home now please. I have got the most wondrous surprise here.”
“Ava, I’ve had a terrible week at work and you know this is the only time I can get diapers and groceries before I leave for my business trip tomorrow. I don’t have time for surprises.” Jim hung up.
Exhausted and depleted, I need a break from everything.
Jim arrived home and opened his front door when suddenly, “SURPRISE!” Ava and a group of friends shouted.
The aroma of deep-dish pizza, BBQ wings, smoked brisket, baby back ribs, Surly IPA, and ice cream cake drifted into Jim’s nostrils.
Ava had flown in all his best friends to celebrate his upcoming 35th birthday.
Like Jim, sometimes we may feel depleted by life’s day to day pains and worries. We may even feel condemned by our own inner voice.
However, despite our struggles, God beckons us to remember that He is still working every day. There’s nothing that we or the world can do to change the fact that God is in control.
While pain, weariness, injustice, and many other issues are unavoidable in this crooked, perverse world, in Him we learn to treasure each moment, one at a time. Furthermore, we know our hope isn’t just in this world. In Christ, when my heart stops beating, not only my life goes on, but also it will be renewed and transformed.
So, take heart and let joy ring in your heart. Eat your favorite foods with all your loved ones and sing and laugh every moment of the day.
- by Jon, Age 27, Biomedical Engineer
