Joy Filled

So lately, like since Thursday, I have been so joyful in the morning and something happens in the day and I get robbed of my joy. Seriously!! Sunday we talked a little in church about letting the devil rob us of our joy. DING DING DING DING: ephiphany: the devil is the one who has been taking my joy away... that little poop head... Today I prayed that God didn't let my joy get robbed from me. I had a wonderful day a little thing happened but it wasn't enought to rob me of my joy. Then at work... that's is when it happened. (Don't get me wrong I LOVE going to work! Sometimes it is challenging but so rewarding.) James, the down syndrome boy I attend to, did not want to cooperate. He just kept saying "no"... "no". So I was really tring to do puzzles with him and it was so hard because he did not want to be doing that and I just got fusturated and sad because I couldn't help him or really understand him. Getting him to go to dinner and then a bath and brushing his teeth and eyedrops were a NIGHTMARE! Needless to say it was just fit after fit, so I was just getting bogged down and robbed of my joy. Then when I was laying on his pillow putting him to bed I was just thinking how lucky I was to be working with him because even through all of this he would come and give me a hug or just look at me and laugh and it just filled me with so much joy!! So by the time I got in the car I was so JOYFUL!! But the devil didn't stop working... he let me see something I didn't want to while driving back to school. Then the the switchfoot song Gone came on. You know "gone, like yesterday is gone. tomorrow is too late.
** Here is where God gets even more awesome!! **
The Lord has laid this verse on my heart for a while now and it is 1 Chronicles 29:15 "our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace" but He also laid Psalm 9:1 "I will praise you LORD with all of my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done". For me it was like the LORD was telling me that I am blessed with a new day to tell of all the marvelous things he has done, not only to my christian friends but to nonchristians because the day will soon be gone and that opportunity will soon pass. SLAP IN THE FACE! Anyway then that song came on and just brought me so much joy! Then I was so excited to run back and tell my roommates but NONE of them were in the room and I feel like I was robbed of my joy AGAIN!! Then God just kind of revealed how awesome and in control and how he delights in every detail of my life (psalm 37:23) and it just made me joyful again.

To say the least even though at points in my day the devil robbed me of my joy the LORD refilled my joy and punched the devil in the face for me and it was awesome!!

Ps. This might be confusing but I wanted to tell the world how awesome He is and how His hand is at work in my life!

Pss. I wish I had time to say all the little things that the LORD is doing in my life but I just don't have that kind of time!! He has done SO MUCH!!