USA

JosieLeave a comment

I think it was the year I graduated high school. I and thousands of other high school seniors from all different backgrounds and walks of life were considering their future, dreaming of what the days ahead might hold for them. I didn’t know it at the time, but I had a friend that lived an ocean away- I would meet her some 12 years later. She was running, literally running for her life, afraid that she might not see another day. She, and many others like her, had been told to get to this boat. If they could just get to the boat, it would take them somewhere safe. As people fought through the crowd to get onto the walkway that stretched over the water and led into the boat, some fell off that very walkway into the water and drowned. But she made it safe into that boat, and her life was preserved from the West African genocide of the day. Eventually, after many long days, she was brought to America.  She still lives here in the U.S. today, has her own home, and is happily raising her daughter, while she works a full-time job.

I have another friend. She moved here from a country in Asia nearly 20 years ago.  She has gone back to visit her family there several times since then. When asked if she would ever go back permanently, her answer generally goes something like this. Although she loves and misses her family, she doesn’t think so. Corrupt is the word that comes to her mind.  It’s SO corrupt there.  If people in America had any idea what it was like, they would be grateful, she’d say. And she has a good life here, a well paying job, a church family, and a beautiful, peaceful home to live in.

Another story- this girl is from a separate Asian country than the one mentioned above. She’s dear to me.  We got to talk multiple times about her experiences here.  She once wrote on an online forum about a problem in her home country, nothing major. The next day she received like 50 of the same emails-addressing the very problem that she had mentioned in the online forum. This was just one instance where she became tuned into the fact that her government was watching her- aware of every comment that she made, especially any seemingly negative comments.

This same girl- we celebrated her birthday once. It wasn’t anything major- just a cake and a Happy Birthday song. It touched her because it was the first time she’d had her birthday celebrated.  She mentioned that where she’s from, they don’t value people the way Americans have learned to value people. She said she thinks that it is our Christian heritage that has led us to celebrate people well.

Then there’s another girl I know, from a country in central Africa. She worked as a reporter there but was reporting on things the government didn’t like. She was arrested and put in prison for a full year before she was released. She was allowed to come to the U.S. to enhance her schooling.

Then there’s me. In the last 11 years, I’ve gotten to visit some different foreign countries. Each was beautiful in its own way, and I got to meet many lovely people, and lived a variety of treasured experiences. But each of these countries’ people experience day to day hardships I dare to guess very few Americans’ lives have ever touched. I stood in a hotel where a suicide bomber had once exploded themselves, hoping to kill many others in the hotel. This hotel was in a walled city- an electronic wall, built for protection. I stood in a bunker that had once been used to pick off innocent farmers as they came out to take care of the crops. The people here have bomb shelters. When the siren goes off, they have about 30 guaranteed seconds to make it the shelter safely.

In every foreign country I’ve been too, I’ve been admonished not to drink the water. It’s not guaranteed to be safe.  

I’ve been to a city in another country that is known to be one of the most dangerous cities in the world. Our group was told here not to look at anyone as we were driving. We didn’t want anyone to get any funny ideas that we’re against them.

In these countries, I’ve witnessed many things- a wall with broken glass pieces on the top, ya know to keep out the intruders, pot holes that would test anyone’s driving skills, children digging through trash, trash littering the roadway, hopeless faces…

I’ve woken up and went hiking through the woods a bazillion times and never feared for my life while doing so.  I can turn the faucet on and drink clean water if I so desire.  I’ve had a hot shower every day for the last many years.  I taught in a school that like all of our public schools offer free breakfasts and lunches to students whose parents can’t afford them.  In the latest pandemic, I received a check in the mail from our government. I walked through a clear, unpolluted stream as I went walking just this weekend. I’ve visited a grocery store basically every week for the last many years and there has always been an abundance of food on the shelves.  I’ve watched many sporting events, where people of all different backgrounds and nationalities have had the chance to shine. I’ve had access to good doctors and had two surgeries by an excellent doctor and surgical team.  Never once did I question the sanitation of my surroundings.  I’ve driven on paved roads that are regularly repaved so that I can travel on them safely.  I’ve gotten to vote in many free and fair elections. I’ve went to church regularly and worshiped freely and haven’t felt threatened by the government or any other radical groups to stop me. I’ve been able to talk about things that I don’t like about our government and never once have I gotten communication from them to stop. I’ve enjoyed visiting clean, beautiful, well-kept parks in the area on a regular basis.  I’ve called 911 and had them respond immediately. A little girl had fallen off her motor scooter and severely injured her knee.  Another time when I reported someone missing to the police, they tracked the person down within 24 hours. My birthday has been celebrated every year that I was born. When I put a hole in my truck turning too closely to a pole, my insurance covered the damage, and my truck was made to look brand new. I have a washer and a dryer to wash my clothes. I don’t worry about being bombed on a weekly basis.  

I could go on and on about these rather normal experiences of life in the U.S, but I think one gets the point. God has used this nation to be a safe haven for countless individuals of all different walks of life, to be a beacon of hope to the world time and time again.  A great nation is made of great people. And to all of those great ones, both past, present, and future, thank you. Men and women have given their lives to defend and protect me and millions of others, even when we didn’t even know it and were even unappreciative. Our nation is a blessing, and I continue to pray over her daily. One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty, and justice for all. Happy birthday, America! And thank you, Jesus! It is because of Him that liberty has been born into our souls forever, and no government shall ever take that freedom away from us.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Reintroduced

JosieLeave a comment

As I scroll through my news feed, I laugh.  Some of ya’ll have plenty of funny things to say right now.  Then, I check the news and am reminded of the reality of a nasty disease trying to encompass our world in fear.  I see thoughts from a dozen different ones on how to survive, how to react, how to conquer… some good thoughts.  But there is one thought that is often to my heart noticeably less prevalent, the thought of the One who has captured my heart and soul a long time ago, the thought of the One who is bigger than every storm, brighter than the sun, Deliverer from every harm, Protector from every disease, my Healer, my Strengthener, my Life Song, my Eternal Love.

I don’t see as much on Him as I would like to, so it makes me wonder how many really know the LOVE of my Heavenly Father and the POWER of the Blood of Jesus.  Ah yes, that.  Perhaps you’ve never heard, and if you have, let me tell you again.  Let me reintroduce you to the blood of Jesus.

In Exodus chapter 12, we see God instruct the Israelites on how to be protected from the last plague.  At midnight the firstborn of everything across the land would die.  All the Egyptians were about to lose their firstborn children, cattle… everything.  But God told Moses to instruct the Israelites to kill a lamb and to put that lamb’s blood on their door posts.  Every home that had blood on the door posts would be passed over.  Those homes’ firstborn would not die.  They would be protected by the hand of God.  And they were.  At midnight, the Egyptians lost their firstborns, but God’s people were protected.  There was peace in the homes of those that posted the blood and screaming devastation in the homes of those that didn’t.  The blood of the lamb was a marker.  The blood of that little lamb was also symbolic of the lamb that would come later, our eternal Lamb of God, JESUS.

The blood of Jesus was shed on Calvary to “take away the sin of the whole world” thus providing us with perfect righteousness and a beautiful covenant with God.  This covenant, if received, would leave no area of our life untouched by His goodness.  It would encompass every piece of our life with the very peace of God himself.  The precious blood of Jesus would enable us to overcome all the works of the enemy (Rev. 12:11) “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony…” The blood of our Eternal Lamb is our protection, our deliverance, our hope, our strength, our healing, our help in the time of trouble.

I can, in 2020, have full confidence in the power of that blood to protect me from every plan of the enemy and to heal me from every disease that could ever be conceived.  That blood shed on Calvary is certainly more than enough to wipe out every trace of COVID-19 nastiness.

You see this full confidence in the power of God to protect in the author of Psalm 91, likely Moses himself.  This Psalm was written by someone who had seen first hand the power of God to protect, someone who with unashamed boldness declared, “a thousand may fall at my side and ten thousand as my right hand, but it shall not come near me…”  Wow.   What confidence!  What boldness!  What audacity!  What extraordinary but simple trust in our ever living, ever breathing, all powerful God.  This is someone who had to have firsthand knowledge of his covenant with the Father, of his place as one of God’s chosen Israelites.  This is someone who had seen God deliver, protect, and heal.  This was someone who had tasted and seen of the goodness of God and watched enemy after enemy fall and enemy after enemy fail.  There was not one that could stand before this man, because there was not one who could stand before this man’s God.  This was a man who knew his covenant.

And, Child of God, you too have a covenant with God through the precious blood of Jesus.  Annnnnd your covenant is even greater.  What the blood of animals could not complete, the blood of Jesus could.  Where the blood of a lamb could enforce protection in Moses’s day, the BLOOD of THE LAMB dominates every work of the enemy.

I encourage you to proclaim this covenant regularly, when you feel afraid and when you don’t.  Take your gaze off fear ridden corona reports and set your gaze on what Jesus has done for you instead.  Turn on some worship music.  Take time to read Psalm 91 with your family.  Declare God’s hand of protection over you and your children.  Watch God respond to your trust in Him.  He will deliver you.  He will heal.  He will take care of you.

I know I’ll take time to take communion today and remind myself of the covenant I have with my Father through the Blood of the Lamb.  It’s a covenant that has held me through every storm of the past and will continue to hold me through every storm of the present and every storm of the future.

Pray with me.  “God thank you for sending Jesus to die on the cross, shed His blood, and be raised from the dead, so that I can live this life free, delivered from every trace of sin, sickness, and bondage.  I proclaim today you are my healer.  You are my protector.  The blood of Jesus keeps me and protects me, and no evil shall befall me or my family, nor shall any plague come near my dwelling.  I look to you Jesus as my source of life and wholeness, and I ask you to help me walk through this thing in perfect victory, proclaiming your great name from start to finish.  You are good, and you always take care of me.  In Jesus Name, Amen.”

Enjoy your people.  Don’t be afraid of the rhythm of slow.  Enjoy not having so much to do and less places to be.  Eat come ice cream.  Donate some of that toilet paper you’ve been hoarding.  You win.  Your family wins.  Fear and coronavirus won’t stand a chance in your atmosphere of faith.  God loves YOU!  You’ve officially been reintroduced.  AMEN!

A few scriptures for some encouragement…  John 1:29, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Isaiah 54:10, Isaiah 54:17, I Thessalonians 5:23, Psalm 91

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Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

Unbroken by Loneliness

JosieLeave a comment

When my sweet friend says of my prolonged singleness, “I don’t know how you do it…” I smile.  ‘Tis like she is insinuating that I have some sort of superpower that no one else has.

But, I know.  I remember.  I remember some of those hard moments.  Those moments that happen each Sunday, when I watch everyone at church get in their vehicle and go home with family.  And I walk away by myself.  I go home and eat lunch alone.  Oh certainly sometimes a friend or three join me, but many many times they don’t.  Yes, I think of the countless times when my friends felt distant, and I wondered if they’d forgotten that I existed.  I remember those times when I’ve checked my phone multiple times in the hour, hoping that someone would connect with my heart’s plea for friendship.  I’ve wondered too about my past guy relationships.  Did I make good choices there?  Should I have done something… anything… differently?  I mean, I honestly don’t want to be single for the rest of my life.

But at the age of 34, I’ve learned ONE main thing, about doing this singleness thing well, about ENJOYING this season of my life, however long it might be.

The number ONE thing that has kept me from being broken by singleness is a simple revelation really.  It’s grown stronger in me the past couple of years.  It’s held me in those hard places, even when my heart felt that it might not be true.  That revelation?  I’m not doing life alone.  In fact, I’m NOT EVER ALONE.

When I was a young girl I remember hearing a sermon about “practicing the presence of God” which was in short treating God as if He really is with you every step of the way.  That message stuck.  Today, it’s no longer a message.  It’s a lifestyle.  I’ve finally realized that God REALLY meant it when He said that He would never leave me (Hebrews 13:5).  He is REALLY right here with me every. single. moment. of every single day.  I can SING to Him all day long.  I can drive to see a friend by “myself” on a long road trip and worship my KING the whole way and have SO MUCH FUN doing it, and feel SO ON TOP OF THE WORLD, IN LOVE with my very BEST friend, Jesus.  It’s He who has kept me; it’s He who has held me; it’s He who will continue to hold me all of my eternity.  It’s the truth… an absolute.  Jesus is always there.

And so in those moments “alone” when my friend didn’t invite me, when my other friend declined my request to hang out, and when it seems I’m the only person that knows where I am, I hear Him whisper, “I’m here, Josie.  I promised I would be until forever, and my promises never fail.  It is I that have held you, that have kept you, that have molded you, and it is I that will NEVER walk away.”  He is my Provider, my Healer, my Lover, my Strength, my Song… my Everything.  I turn to Him again… and again… and again… AND even when I’m discouraged and frustrated and thinking about it ALL WRONG, He’s RIGHT there by my side, lovingly, patiently turning my heart back toward Him, the One that’s never left.  AND THAT is precisely what has kept me from being broken by loneliness.  And whether you are surrounded by a family of ten or a family of none, whether your last profile picture got a hundred likes or two, God sees you.  He knows right where you are.  He is watching after you and whispering to your heart, “I see you.  Turn to ME.  I will take care of you, and fulfill your deepest heart’s desires.”  So that’s it.  That’s my superpower.  Now that I’ve revealed it, you go and be SUPER too.

My African Adventure

Josie2 Comments

When people ask me about Africa, it’s a little difficult to put in words a great response. It was a God thing that I was there,  and watching his hand bring together each piece to get me there continually solidified the knowing that I was suppose to be exactly in Africa with Reaction Tour for my New Year’s.

The theme of this year’s Reaction Tour was REDEMPTION, and that topic was powerfully shared and embraced continuously.  Sitting in those services, with the Word of God being deposited so richly, I don’t think anyone left the same.  We will all remember as Pastor Chris body surfed across the crowd to demonstrate Peter swimming back to Jesus.   Actually, that crazy moment is a real picture of what happened all week long.  The Spirit of God moved, and so many ran toward Jesus and His good plan.

It was such an honor to be a part of this, and I had ample opportunity to minister to young people in various ways. I taught volleyball.  I helped paint fingernails during beauty class. I handed out t-shirts and punched bracelets when campers picked up their shoes. I listened to their stories. I prayed for and with them and spoke into their lives.  I had the great honor of introducing several to Jesus for the first time. I got to encourage the girls to be their own best friend and to embrace their season of singleness. I attempted to dance with them. And goodness, do Ugandans know how to dance! During our morning and evening services, I would look to my left and right and stand in awe of the God that brought me here to worship in a foreign land. The same God that I’ve known most of my life is very much alive in the hearts of the men and women of Uganda.

I had the pleasure of meeting several of these beautiful people. One thing that touched me was the level of respect that existed among these young adults. When I instructed volleyball, they listened and endeavored to do whatever we talked about. They were so friendly too. I’d say, “Good morning!” And then with wide beautiful smiles they’d respond. They taught me two Ugandan handshakes, and treated me as if I belonged. It was obvious too how much the Ugandan leaders of the church that put this camp together, loved their countrymen and endeavored to pour out their lives on their behalf. Truly their leadership was a continuous example to me of the love of God in action.

As our bus drove through the city of Kampala, I got to witness a snapshot of life in Uganda. It’s a busy place, to say the least. There are no stop signs or street signs. Shops line the streets. A random cow or goat grazes along the street. Street vendors sell their wares. A little boy carries by the neck a recently killed chicken. A truck is parked next to the street with a man in the back chopping pineapple. Boda bodas whiz by us, sometimes making the narrow road into a five lane highway. Some people walk with a purpose carrying this or that on their head. Many seem to wander aimlessly, and some lie along the street sleeping despite the pandemonium that surrounds them.

We rode through a rainstorm once. The water rose almost high enough to get into the bus. The streets were still busy that day, though many had sought shelter. The depth of the water was too much for more than one boda boda. I watched as one toppled over as it endeavored to push through the muddy water, overcome by the weight of the storm water. A young man picked up the lady that was driving and carried her in his arms as he rushed to get help. She didn’t look seriously injured, but I prayed a prayer that she would be okay. Our bus slid a little in the muddiness as our driver navigated us back to camp. At one point, he got out of the bus, and helped another lady that couldn’t figure out how to get her car off of the road so our bus could pass. I was especially thankful that day when we pulled into where we were staying for camp!

Some ask if I saw any cool animals… Well, goats, cows, chickens, and cats were the animals I saw the most. Once a small herd of cows marched along the road in the opposite direction of where we were driving. Chickens regularly ran through camp. I asked how people knew whose chicken was whose. “They always come home at night,” I was told. We did have monkeys living in our backyard that made an appearance a few times. They wouldn’t let us get too close before they’d dart away, which prevented me from bringing one home for a souvenir :). Then there was one very exotic looking blue lizard that we spotted climbing a tree near our back porch. No giraffes or lions or tigers or bears. Oh my! An avocado tree and jackfruit tree added to the jungle like feeling of our backyard.

Actually, that was the first thing that I noticed when I got off the plane in Entebbe. Uganda is green! I don’t know exactly what I expected, but it’s much greener than I thought it would be. It reminded me of a tropical rain forest.

The other color of Uganda, which I had expected, is red. The dirt is red. And I found myself covered with some of this red dirt every day of camp. If I wouldn’t have washed it off, one could’ve believed that I had the nicest tan of forever.

As for the food…well, to say the least, I was fed so well while there. Our team had bought groceries for us, so we were responsible for making our own breakfast. Dinner was made by one of our team members. Lunch was prepared for us by some of the Ugandan ladies at the camp. It was very yummy! It usually was composed of chapatti, rice, chicken mixed with veggies, an avocado and tomato mixture, and fruit. Ah yes, the fruit! If I could have brought back Uganda’s pineapple and mango, I would’ve. It was the sweetest and most delicious I’d had. I won’t ever be able to eat pineapple and mango with the same thought process again.

So at the end of a very full week, we went to an oasis of a hotel in Kampala for a couple of days to rest up before beginning the longggg journey home. I was thankful for these two days, but found myself needing to lean on Jesus significantly. I was tired. I hadn’t slept normally for a week and a half. And I had done something to my neck. One of our guys thought maybe I had pinched a nerve. But it hurt. I was in tears. I felt rather alone, and so I got out the Word and leaned into Him. Soon after, I was given a pain killer that helped. Soon after that, two friends from back home (that now live in Kampala) came to visit me. It lifted my heart to see them! We ate dinner. We shared. I went to bed that night in awe of how quickly God could take a low moment and turn it into a high moment of pure joy.

The next day, my friends picked me up and took me to their BEAUTIFUL home. They made a most delicious breakfast for me and took me to the market where they helped me barter and get good prices for the souvenirs I bought to take home. I wish I could’ve had more time to spend there. There were so many unique items! I woke the next day and finally captured the masseuse for a deep tissue massage, and then I found a chocolate croissant, green tea, and a conversation about resting in Jesus. It was a perfect way to end a very special adventure!

Well, I suppose one never really does end a trip like this. What had been a rather abstract concept, a chapter in my history book, an episode on television, has become a real place to me, a place forever alive in my heart. My vision has been forever enlarged, my dreams expanded. Thank you, Father God. Thank you, Reaction Tour. And thank you, Uganda!

Photo credit @Brad Ballinger

Look UP!

JosieLeave a comment

Recently, I happened upon the story of Rebekah in Genesis 24.  Here Abraham sends his servant back to his home country to find Isaac a wife.  When I think of this servant and his very important assignment, my heart goes out to him, as I can’t imagine having the job of finding someone I work for a wife!  A puppy, maybe… but not a WIFE.  Anyway, thankfully the servant knows what to do with this kind of request.  When he gets to his destination, He PRAYS.  He prays that God would show him kindness (vs. 12) and that the girl that he asks to give him a drink of water, would not only say yes to that request, but that she would also offer to give his camels a drink of water too.

And lo and behold, before he finishes his prayer, this beautiful girl, named Rebekah, enters the scene.  The servant, hoping for the best, trusting God, RUNS up to the girl and asks for a drink.  And she responds by giving him… a drink!  Now I can only imagine that as the servant was drinking, he was thinking something that went like this, “Oh please, oh please, let her ask about the camels, let her ask about the camels, come on God, she needs to ASK ABOUT THE CAMELS!”

And Rebekah, after he had finished drinking, says, “Oh hey, I’ll get water for your camels too.” Of course, said servant is in awe, barely containing his excitement, and so hopeful that this wife hunting thing is about to come to an end.  And, as you might know, it does.  The rest is history.  Rebekah ends up going with the servant and gets to meet her husband, Isaac.

As I read this story, one thing really jumped out at me, and it was the answer to this question:  As the servant sat there, guzzling down the water, what was Rebekah doing?   I mean, it’s not so uncommon to give a guy a drink that asks for it.  Most people would do that, especially when they have water in their hand.  But, it’s what Rebekah was doing while the man was drinking that I believe is more uncommon today.

The answer:  Very simply, Rebekah LOOKED UP.  She looked up, not at the sky, but rather at what was going on around her.  She looked away from her own busy schedule, from her own routine, and began noticing a situation outside of herself.  Man on journey.  Camels.  Hmmm… maybe they’re thirsty too.  In order for her to ask about those camels, she had to NOTICE their existence.  And you can’t do that if you don’t look up, look around, and begin to think, hmmm… how can I help?

Now, I don’t know too much about camels, but I’m fairly certain, too, that camels can drink A LOT of water.  Rebekah wasn’t concerned about the inconvenience or the work that it would take to make sure each of those camels got plenty to drink.  She wasn’t afraid of the inconvenience of kindness.  She was just ready to help.

So true of today’s society, with so many cell phones that do so many things, and provide us with so many opportunities to never look up and notice those around us.  I mean we have email to check, Facebook to check, Twitter to check, Snapchat, and Instagram, and you name it… We all have challenges we face, things we’ve got to do, groceries we’ve got to buy, appointments to make.  But in the rush of a thousand things to do, one of the most life changing decisions we might make would be to slow down enough to look up from the busyness of our routine, and ask, “How can I help?”  Or begin to think, “Hmmm… I wonder what kind of day they’ve had?  How can I lighten their load?  How can I brighten their day”

Kindness can look a thousand different ways.  A smile, a phone call, going in the kitchen and washing a stack of dishes, opening the door, listening to a story, cooking a meal, taking a moment to pray for someone, etc.  BUT- kindness won’t happen if you don’t stop what you’re doing, look up away from your life for a moment, and begin to take notice of the world around you.  Someone is certainly waiting on YOUR kindness today!  And the cool thing about this story, is Rebekah’s heart of kindness, her awareness of a situation around her, ended up changing her whole entire life’s history.  God, not only used her to be an answered prayer, but she met her husband.  She became, literally, the mother of Israel.  And really, we’re in 2017, still talking about her today.

Look up.  You’ll forever be glad you did.  And so will someone else.

Isaac is born!

JosieLeave a comment

Recently I was reading in Genesis, and I got to the end of the chapter. Instead of stopping, as I planned, I glanced ahead to see what I would be reading about next.  That’s when I happened upon the title that had been printed above the next chapter, these words, “Isaac is born.”  When I saw them, something in my heart leapt, and I got giddy with excitement, as I thought of Sarah.  She was ninety years old.  Ninety.  Undoubtedly in her life there were so many days when she wondered, when God?  How God?  Did we really hear from you God? And after MUCH waiting and some discouragement and some trying to do things in her own strength, here she was pregnant with her promised son, JUST AS GOD HAD SAID.  And I thought, wow, what a day!  How quickly everything changed!  I can just imagine her just laughing and shaking her head, and thinking, WOW, GOD, You really did it!  You really gave me a son!  And that day when she looked into her sweet baby boy’s eyes, she had to have been in awe, in awe of the beauty of our God, in the beauty of a promise fulfilled.  And she named that promise Isaac, which means laughter. And she laughed.  And she laughed some more.

I know that a big part of my excitement upon finding those words and being happy for Sarah was God speaking to my heart to not let go of the dreams, of the promises, of the words, that He has so faithfully given me.  As life rolls along, sometimes those dreams can get pushed aside, as routine can so easily take over, or I can begin to question, did God really mean it when He said… maybe I missed it… what if… And if I don’t keep my eyes on the Promise Giver, it would be all too easy to grow discouraged and give up on that which God has placed in my heart.  That God, though, is speaking to my heart, “Isaac is born,” is so encouraging because He wants me to know that He hasn’t given up on my dreams, that He looks forward to fulfilling every word that He has promised.  And He will!

And perhaps, if you’re reading this, He is speaking that to you too.  Don’t let go of that promise.  Allow yourself to be encouraged.  For there is a day when everything changes, when dreams come true, the wondering stops and all is made clear, and your heart, it laughs, and you sing praises to God and are reminded that He is faithful to perform.  He will bring the dream to pass. Keep looking to Him,  Keep looking to His Word.  Take heart.  You too will laugh.

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