“When dark clouds fill the sky
Break open and the heavens cry
When joy is drowned and hope is drenched
It’s a sweet and bitter providence
When the clouds are gone
And the flowers sprout
The rainbow shines
And the sun is out
The clouds and rain all make sense
It’s a sweet and bitter providence
So look for the rays of sun breaking through
And know that God loves you
The hand that brings
The cloud that rains
Is the hand who wipes the tears away
When God hangs on the cross
His blood is shed
For the lost
His grace shines with radiance
It’s a sweet and bitter providence
The hand that bears
The sinners nail
Is the hand whose love
Will never fail”
Lyrics from the song “A Sweet and Bitter Providence” that have lifted my eyes to Jesus and reminded me that rays of sun are always seeking to find their way into the cracks and crevices and sometimes wide craters that the devastations in this life have left in our ever so fragile hearts. And in this sweet and bitter providence of what God has given to us in this season of our lives I am reminded often to “look for the rays of sun breaking through”. Sometimes those rays of sun have been simple and even slightly ridiculous, other times deeply profound and meaningful. I thought I’d begin to dedicate Sundays to sharing with you some of those rays of sun breaking through in my life lately, reminding me of the little joys in life as well as the greater ones! So here are some for today… in no particular order! Maybe along the way, some of these may become little “rays of sun” for you as well! Enjoy!
- Trader Joe’s Gone Bananas… Yes, I did say some of these “rays of sun” would be quite simple… but seriously, these are amazing. 2 of my best friends and I took a 2 ½ hour road trip to Trader Joe’s in Sarasota to stock up on all the amazing delicacies you can find there… including their “Gone Bananas”. These may just seem like average chocolate covered banana bites but I assure you they are not. I may or may not have eaten nearly a whole box last weekend when we came back, leaving just one, only so I could say I “nearly” ate the whole box. We’re counting down the days for our local Orlando Trader Joe’s to open, even though it will probably not be until the end of this year. So, until then 2 hour road trips to Trader Joe’s will continue to be little rays of sun for me and my friends!
Just in case you need to know what they look like!
- 90 Days of God’s Goodness (Daily Reflections that shine light on Personal Darkness) by Randy Alcorn. My mom sent me this devotional a couple of weeks ago and I’ve been soaking it up. Every day is filled with powerful scripture and stories that have lifted my eyes to God’s goodness and love for me that is creating a deeper foundation of faith rooted in His word and not my feelings. Powerful, powerful… If you’ve every questioned God’s goodness in the midst of suffering then I highly recommend this devotional!
- “The Glorious Unfolding” by Stephen Curtis Chapman. Another great recommendation by my mom! This song has been on repeat in my car, on my itunes all week. I’m not joking. A powerful song that will really lift your eyes and fill them with hope of the story that is unfolding in our lives. As I was driving home today, listening to this song, I had a picture of Sophie excitedly tugging on my arm and telling me “Mom, I was talking to Jesus and you’re not going to believe the story he’s still writing for your life… it’s a really good story” Tears filled my eyes at the thought. Now I don’t know what those conversations look like for Sophie with Jesus but I do know that she has a better view of eternity then I do and Jesus writes the best stories… that always include the redemption of things in our lives.
- My HEAL group friends, some of whom I just got to spend time with yesterday! Kevin and I were in a grief group for other couples who have lost babies and I can’t even express how refreshing it has been to be around other families walking through the same season. While I wish we would’ve met under different circumstances I’m so grateful for these growing friendships. If you’ve walked through loss of any kind I would HIGHLY recommend looking for a support group. If you live in Orlando, here are some Support Groups, including the HEAL group sponsored by Florida Hospital.
- A Time to be Silent and a Time to Speak - October 29, 2020
- Teaching Them to Hope, Birthday After Birthday. - January 15, 2020
- A Taste of Hope Fulfilled – Briella Dawn’s Birth Story - August 3, 2018
