The Joy of a Servant's Heart
Nehemiah 8:10b - "Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."
It has been only a few days since we laid to rest a dear aunt of mine. As I've reminisced and reflected on this difficult loss, I've given consideration to what made her such a remarkable person and what I could learn from her.
Although there were so many attributes, one that stood out above the others was a servant's heart. Not only was she a servant, she was a joyful servant. She was always positive and upbeat, offering an encouraging word and doing all she could to make sure you were comfortable. People were drawn to her for these attributes.
These are wonderful attributes and she excelled in them, but what was truly remarkable was that she continued to walk with a servant's heart even in the face of trial. Her life, like yours and mine, had hardships. She faced lymphoma some 25 years ago, but was blessed with remission for many years. She lost her dad to cancer and an infant granddaughter to SIDS. Her husband's job took her and her family (3 school aged kids) to a foreign land where they did not know the language (certainly a trial for me).
Evidence of the pain and heartache were found in her Bible after she passed. She had written Psalm 30:5 on a piece of paper - "Though the sorrow may last for the night, the joy comes with the morning." And even more painful, Job 29:2-5 had been physically cut out of her Bible. Those scripture are, "How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me, when His lamp shone upon my head and by His light I walked through darkness! Oh for the days when I was in my prime, when God's intimate friendship blessed my house, when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me." These scripture are evidence that she faced hard times and heart ache. Yet she continued to serve and do so joyfully.
Ultimately, she lost the battle to leukemia. But, even in her final days, she remained positive and upbeat. She was at peace and looked forward to meeting Jesus. She was 'on the watch' for Jesus in her final hours.
I've marveled at how she faced life and the attitude with which she did so. I've come to believe that the joy of the Lord was truly her strength. She knew the source for joy and strength in facing the trials.
As wives and mother's we also have to serve. And, sometimes our strength and our attitudes are waning and the service is not done. If we tap into the joy of the Lord, we will truly be strengthened. We can face difficulty and struggles, and yet do so with a positive and peaceful attitude. I don't know about you....but there are days that I need that!
I share this with you in honor and memory of my aunt, Carolyn J. Morr, and what she taught me.
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