I like the buiful day.

Lily is such a funny little kid, like, really really funny. She has this knack for re-enacting stuff she says and does. If she had a moment of crying, she will later tell me all about how she cried and proceed to fake cry, for dramatic effect of course! She is just hilarious!

Tonight, we were leaving church in the dark, and come to find out, she is not a fan of the dark. We are not out much at dark so I guess that's probably why, but nonetheless, not a fan. She said, in the most whiny voice she could muster, "I not like the dok, I like the buiful day."

Most of us would agree with ya Lil! We like the beautiful day too! Although, I actually quite enjoy driving at night for some reason, I must have the eyesight of a gazelle. Or a wolf. Or, whatever the heck animal is known for keen eyesight. Ah but I digress.

We really don't like the dark, and yet, so often, that's exactly where we find ourselves. The dark. Life takes us through different phases and stages, some dark, some light, some gray, and some, well, some are just beautiful! Oh how we long for the beautiful days. When your bills are paid. When everybody is healthy. When you feel you have a purpose in this life. That is beautiful.

But what about the dark days. When you can't pay your bills, let alone buy something you just plain want. Or when you are sick in your body, or a loved one is battling an illness. When you feel like you have no purpose in this life. What then?

Lamentations 3:22-24 says:

22 Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
24 “ The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
“ Therefore I hope in Him!”

Oh I love that. I LOVE that. I have hope. I have a hope that God will provide my every need. I have a hope that God has the power to touch a weary body. I have a hope that God can bring a peace that passes all understanding to every situation! I have a hope that God has a plan and a purpose for my life, plans of good and not of evil, plans to prosper me and give me a hope and a bright future!

God is our portion. Period. He is all we need. He KNOWS all we need. That's how you make the dark days beautiful. There is beauty when you cry out to a beautiful God...in the dark. Just because it's dark does not mean God is absent. I'm going to venture to say He is all the more near to you in that dark time. Why? Because you are drawing nearer to Him. And the Bible says that if we draw near to Him, He draws near to us. That my friends, is beauty at it's fullest. The creator of Heaven and Earth, the amazing, amazing redeemer, gets down in the midst of our darkness and begins to shed His glorious light. It may be slow. It may take a real long time, but if we stay near to Him, the light will eventually begin to shine. You may notice a tiny little sliver of victory...that's the light. It's comin. It's comin. It's comin!!! And when it does, it's nothing short of beautiful.

Yes, we like it too Lily. We like it too.