Kenya, my then fiancé, now my husband of 14 years and father of our 4 wonderful children, didn’t have any money to spend that year. We were planning our wedding and were pretty much all tapped out financially. But he wanted to do something kind for me on my birthday.
I wasn’t expecting anything at all, because it was understood that we were in no position to spend anything. We couldn’t go out on a dinner date if we wanted to!
Well, I was upstairs in my bedroom when one of my younger sisters came rushing in with three jewelry boxes. “This is from Kenya,” she said in her squeaky voice, looking excited.
Confused, shocked and curious, I opened the first box sitting atop the small pile.
When I lifted the white cardboard lid, there, lying on top of the cotton padding was a beautiful necklace… made of candy. The other boxes contained the matching candy ring and bracelet.
“I would have gotten you diamonds if I could have afforded them,” Kenya wrote in his accompanying note. “For now, I settled for the sweetest gift I could find for the sweetest woman I know.”
“Aw,” I said laughing out loud and simultaneously welling up with tears.
That was indeed a sweet gesture, literally and symbolically. For the rest of the day, until we shared the sugary treats together, I proudly sported my candy jewels.
Though Kenya and I didn’t have very much back then, we made the most of what we did have and found a reason to be joyful every day.
I encourage you to do the same thing.
Even though you may be facing imperfect circumstances, don’t let anything steal your joy, which is ultimately found in Christ. Focus on all the blessings you do have and the fact that you are beloved by God. When you do, the joy of the Lord will continuously flow in your life.
To remind you not to sink down into the valley of despair during life’s low points, I’m preparing a special cup of inspiration for you today.
Here's how to make the most of the ingredients in today's cup:
Step 1: Reflect on all you have to be thankful for, even in the midst of problems.
Step 2: Remind yourself that joy is not based on circumstances, but is found in God.
Step 3: Read and meditate on Proverbs 15:13 in the Amplified Bible that says, “A glad heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.”
When you drink down the contents of your cup, instead of focusing all you don’t have or what might not be going well in your life at this moment, you will be reminded to thank God for what He has given you.
When it’s all said and done, you have the gift of His son, Jesus Christ. Therefore, you have everything.
The good news is, whatever you're facing right now, negative circumstantial evidence cannot steal your joy, because joy is not circumstantial. It is divine!
Now let’s pray.
God, thank You for my life and all the blessings You have bestowed upon me, great and small. Help me not to focus so much on what’s wrong, that I fail to see how abundantly favored I am. Above all else, let me never take for granted the greatest gift of all and the source of my joy—Your son, Jesus Christ! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!
