Dancing in a field of flowers....

"So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy from you." John 16:22

As the world falls away and disappears like a mist, you are weightless and feel like you could fly. Spinning around and around like a top, soaking in the sun on your skin and the smell of the flowers and sweet grass. Eyes closed and arms outstretched as if you could grab hold of eternity itself.

Freedom, unspeakable joy, and peace that surpasses all understanding. These are the truths that invade any lie that once held you captive. A smile breaks the lines of worry, fear, hurt, anger, sorrow, loss, and pain. Suddenly, you know that freedom is possible and more than that, it's yours. You just have to decide that the chains can't stop you from dancing, for they are not locked.

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4

With trembling hands and an inadequate heart do I write this. Tears are my companion during this writing because of the joy of Yahweh. I am not talking about the butterfly happiness of when all things are in order and flowing. I am talking about the unspeakable joy that visits the darkest nights and deepest valleys.

I am inspired by a testimony of a woman who will live on through history! She survived hell and REJOICED THROUGH THE FLAMES. She was kidnapped by the enemy of her people. Normal national fear filled her until she prayed. When she prayed, peace that surpasses all understanding filled her instead of the consuming fear. When she was taken by her captors, she was placed with another captive and instead of being full of dread and thinking of herself. She started REJOICING in being kidnapped because she could be there for the other captive. She turned everything that was going on around them into something to laugh at. She turned hell into heaven, she turned sadness into rejoicing, fear into hope. All because she prayed before she entered this trial and counted it A JOY!!! The captors saw this and didn't understand at all and instead said "You are bringing light to this place."

Oh, how I am so humbled and also ashamed because of the lack of joy in my life due to letting this world have a grip on me. I can't even begin to understand all that this woman went through. She displayed, like so many others, what James 1:2-4 means. I desire to do the same in mine. If she and so many others all through history and present day can have this joy, you and I most definitely can!

All this to say, we have the free will to decide in life to let the flames burn us up or to dance through them like we are dancing in a field of flowers. The choice is ours.

"You turned my mourning into dancing; you peeled off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy!" Psalm 30:12

"Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?" "Yes, oh king." "But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt, and the appareance of the fourth is like a son of the gods." Daniel 3:24~25

DANCE TILL THE CHAINS FALL OFF AND SATAN SEES NOTHING CAN STOP YOU!

With love

~Elysa