1:00 a.m. and I was wide awake after only a couple hours of sleep. I prayed as I tossed and turned, knowing I must be up early for the first day of bible study. As I watched the hours tick by, I was tempted to just turn off the alarm and think, “I will go to bible study in a couple weeks. However, knowing the summer studies are shorter and I would not be there the following week, I was determined no matter how tired I was, I would be there.

As I have shared in my previous blogs, finding a new church where I would have fellowship and connections was paramount in locating the one God had for me. With the previous invitations for fellowship, I felt I was where God intended. As I walked into the bible study, would this be one more confirmation I was in “the place” God desired; the church where I could worship and serve?

Within minutes of arrival, my heart was blessed. The ladies were warm and welcoming and the small group leader and I share similar life’s experiences. During our conversation on the lesson of “I Am”, my heart was filled with gratitude. It’s been quite some time that I left a bible study feeling not only enriched, but grateful for the life I have.

Even when trials and burdens seem insurmountable, as Christians we are always reminded, God sees, hears and knows. One of my favorite verses of “give thanks always” is sometimes difficult, but one which my heart knows is true. This day of study, reflection and sharing was a reminder that we truly can be grateful even when circumstances are difficult.

I’ve walked past my piano and harps for months, unable to sit and play due to all that was happening in my life. Not only did I feel I didn’t have the time to give to just “sitting”, but my heart was so heavy with “life” that I felt I didn’t have the energy to be creative.

This day was different. As I sat at the piano, the notes rippled beneath my fingers. I could have sat there for the remainder of the day and into the night. I had a commitment and couldn’t linger. We cannot have these moments like this every day of our life but what a joy and  blessing it is, when God brings these days because they are truly gifts from Him.

As one of the ladies in the bible study noted, she sometimes just leans back and says “God I’m ready for you to call me home.” She said her granddaughter will say oh Grandma don’t say that because I want to get married and I want to have children. We all have earthly goals and desires. Yet when we have these days of joy in the Lord, isn’t it a blessing to know how wonderful it is going to be when we are with Him? Nehemiah8:10 NKJ, “…Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”