Thinking about my "happy place"......

This morning I was enjoying the wonderful sunshine and warm(ish) weather by sitting on the back patio (on our new patio furniture) and having a cup of coffee!  I was relaxing and just breathing in the cool air.  There were a couple of mallard ducks that joined me and I watched them settle under a nearby tree in the shade.  I was reading my "daily" Psalms (I always read 3 or 4 Psalms a day) and I came to Psalm 142.... (The Passion Translation) titled "My Only Hope"!

God, I'm crying out to you!  I lift up my voice boldly to beg for your mercy!  I spill out my heart to you, and tell you all my troubles.  For when I was desperate, overwhelmed and about to give up, you were the only One there to help!  You gave me a way of escape from the hidden traps of my enemies.  I look to my left and right to see if there is anyone who will help.  But there is no one who takes notice of me.  I have no hope of escape.  And no one cares whether I live or die.  So, I cried out to You Lord, my only hiding place.  Your all I have, my only hope in this life, my last chance for help.  Please listen to my heart's cry. for I am so low and in desperate need of You!  Rescue me from all those who persecute me, for I am no match for them.  Bring me out of this dungeon so that I can declare Your praise!  And all your Godly lovers will celebrate all the wonderful things you have done for me! 

As I was thinking about this Psalm and looking out at the beautiful scene before me, I was thinking about all the blessings.....all the times that I have felt so rescued.  And I was thinking about the first time that I visited one of my very favorite "happy places"....... in 1976.

Yes, this was the first time I ever put my feet in salt water and it was at Ken's very favorite beach from his childhood.  It was an unexpected trip, one that we really couldn't afford, but very necessary.  Ken's grandfather died and we traveled to Florida for the funeral.  When I look back at this time, I can see all the ways that God provided for me during this event.  I was really young (21) and had never dealt with the death of a family member.  Everything we needed for this trip was provided - including a rental car and Ken was just 24! (We actually got to Florida and found out at the rental car counter that we could not rent a car since Ken was not 25.  But thanks to a kind person who did not want to see us stranded at the Tampa airport, we found a company who would actually rent us a car!  It was not a great car - we actually had to call for service more than once during the trip - but it was a car!)  We also got to spend a couple of days with my Aunt Bee who lived near to Ken's grandparents home.  During that visit, Aunt Bee offered us some discounted tickets to DisneyWorld.  So we actually got to spend a day there.  In spite of the reason for this trip, it was the first of many, many trips to that "happy place" for me.

So as I was thinking about that Psalm today, I was incredibly thankful for "My Only Hope"...Jesus.  Even though I feel like these last months have been a time of crying out to God, I also know that Jesus has heard my heart's cry!  Through this memory, I was reminded of how many times there has been provision for Ken and I - in the big things and in the little things.   And I felt a renewed surge of hope rising up in my spirit.

If you are in times of desperation, feeling overwhelmed and ready to give up, hear the good news!  There is hope!  And that hope is Jesus.  If you are crying out, hold on.... He hears your hearts cry.  Be encouraged!  God is faithful and He will rescue you.  There is a happy place out there, just waiting for you.

Jesus, thank you for your amazing provision,  Holy Spirit, what a wonderful reminder of a happy place for me!  Would you pour out hope for all who are feeling hopeless today, and give us all assurance that Jesus is hearing our cry for help.  Amen