I Have No Greater Joy--Children Serving the Lord

Today I was thinking about all the tears I have shed in the past as I struggled through twenty years of raising babies and young children--striving to train them in the way they should go despite how lonely that way was.

 

I thought of the years of struggling through home schooling and trying to get along with only a very rare babysitter. I remembered the times Jonathan would be gone on one Mission Helps trip after another, and I would be home alone with all the children. 

But when my oldest daughter finishes her third year of being supervisor for Mt. Zion Bible School and receives such a sweet going-away party with children who made the dearest note to her, I couldn't be happier. 

I know she had some rough days and weeks and even years. But she taught for three years, and now God is dovetailing so many things, some of which I can't say quite yet! She has moved to South Dakota to temporarily stay with us--at least for now. And God dropped a babysitting job right into hers and Hannah's lap two days after arriving here! 

I was amazed at how the Lord dovetailed so many things--including Tovie Blackcalf who was driving a fairly large, empty trailer from her very own school campus all the way to South Dakota. He was coming to SD for an SIM board meeting, and was going to drop the trailer at Mitchel. But he was willing for Crystal and cousins to load the trailer with her belongings to bring here to White River where he and other board members stayed at the hotel up the road. We hadn't known how we were going to get a trailer to her or just what to do, but God provided a way with someone who was going to be driving all the way here anyway!

Crystal brought with her the tenderest, freshest asparagus I've ever eaten--from my brother Fain's garden, as well as three cartons of fresh raspberries from his place as well.  We got to share it all with our pastor who dropped by Tuesday. His wife had gone to a school reunion and he didn't have a cook in the house!

 I'm also thrilled when I get news from my girls who went out with an evangelism team to downtown Colorado Springs with Rev. Rodney Keister. Despite some heckling and the most rejection Rev. Keister has ever experienced, they were able to hand out some tracts, and Rose got to pray with a blind man. 

 

 Sam has just arrived safely home from his medical team's trip to Africa (and Crystal is talking to him on the phone). My other boys are busy serving the Lord in practical ways. 

Hannah is serving the Lord--reading the Bible at the neighbor a couple times a week, and recently babysitting with Crystal.  

And even when I'm having to juice greens and gulp down the green froth, and do magnesium soaks and ionic foot bath soaks and take gobs of supplements and drugs throughout the day,

I know I have so much to thank God for.

I have no greater joy than to know that my children are walking with the Lord and serving Him.

"You sowed in tears," I felt the Lord whispered to me, "and now you are reaping in joy."