Wake up.

This weekend I was blessed with the opportunity to spend both Saturday and Sunday in a small town called Sayre. This is an old mining community with a very diverse group of people found within its city limits. Our student ministry has had several opportunities to go to to this place in Northern Alabama and serve them in a variety of different areas. Anyone can tell that the way of life in Sayre is different from the moment you pull in- yesterday was a day that we pulled in and although the skies were clear and beautiful- there was still a darkness that hung over this small town. Life for most in Sayre is hard- struggling from paycheck to paycheck, parents trying to keep their kids safe from drug dealings that may be going on just next door, and mixed families to the extreme. I will not go into details about everything that went on this weekend but just wanted to share something that has been on my heart for the past two days and hope that you can find some encouragement and maybe even conviction in it as well---

Meet Kiranda.

This precious girl lights up a room

and has more joy than anyone I have been blessed to come into contact with.

She will help, hug, and love everyone that comes

within just a few feet of her.

She ran around all day on Saturday singing:

"I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart..."

and it brought me to tears.

She has such true joy.

The most amazing part about Kiranda's story is that if we stepped back

and looked at the specifics of her home situation

and the fires she has already faced in her young life-

most would wonder how she finds joy in anything.

Her father is present in her life but is in the middle of a fiery trial

himself and is trying to pull himself out of a pit.

Her mother is not in the picture.

She and her sweet sister, Allie, live with a woman

who takes care of 6 other children as well.

So how is this little girl living in the middle of what some would consider 

a nightmare to happy?

The bottom line is that she gets it.

It doesn't matter who she has or doesn't have or

where she lives and what she lives without-

She realizes that Jesus loves her.

He has a plan for her.

and He will take care of her needs.

So many of my days go by when I allow myself to get down and pitiful about a situation I may be facing- I find myself discouraged if even the tiniest of things doesn't go the way I want it to.

I get so caught up in what I have and don't have and trying to figure out everything that's going on around me---but why?

Why do I allow myself to be bogged down by worry and sadness when I have and have had all that I need in the Lord.

Why can I not trust that by seeking after the Lord's face every day and truly "commit my way to the Lord, trust in him" and be sure that He will act in his time.

I am hindering myself from true joy. Every day.

Kiranda reminded me of the source of my true joy, value, worth, and satisfaction.

Thank you, Sweet Jesus, for this reminder.

You are all we need.

-Ames