Good Retaliation

I recently had an experience that still makes me smile each time I think about it.

I was carrying my five-month-old nephew while his two-year-old brother was running around in the house. We made a game of the younger one chasing the older one, and soon both boys were shrieking with laughter. It made me so happy to see the two interact and enjoy one another while they were still so young. When I got home, I said that I wanted to remember those moments forever.

God gives us special times with the ones we love. He allows us to see and do things that create memories we cherish. I thank God that there is a time for joy along with a time for tears. As Ecclesiastes 3:4 says, there is “a time to weep and a time to laugh.â€

Life can get really heavy. I have a lot weighing down on me right now. But God mixes in a lot of good as we go through each day, giving us a break from our pain and the chance to smile and laugh. • Emily Acker

• What is a special memory you hold onto?

• Has God ever given you a happy moment when you really needed it? Consider taking some time to enjoy this memory and thank God for it.

• When Jesus came to earth as a human and lived among us, He experienced everything we do—the sorrows and the joys (Hebrews 4:14-16). When Jesus returns, there will be no more sorrow or pain (Revelation 21:4). But until then, He is with us through everything we experience, grieving our hurts and delighting in our joys right along with us. How might these truths give you comfort?

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17 (NIV)

Read Verses:

Eph.4.31-Eph.4.32|1Thess.5.15|Gen.45.1-Gen.45.11|Gen.50.15-Gen.50.21