This morning started off with me snoozing my alarm. In those five minutes that I was asleep I heard thunder and saw lightning. I decided it was time to roll out of bed. I turned on the news, walked to my coffee maker and then brushed my teeth.
I decided to wear a dress this morning, because I honestly did not want to wear pants. I knew that it was going to rain, but I thought there was only a 20 percent chance of rain. I grabbed my bag, umbrella and coffee and power walked to the front of my apartment hoping that the bus to campus would wait for me, luckily it did. I found a seat on the bus, and then noticed that every one was wearing sweat pants, sweaters and hoodies. And then there’s me… wearing a dress, flip flops and a light white cardigan. Part of me wanted to run back to my apartment and change, but I knew that I was going to be running late to work if I did that. So, I decided to just brave the weather and hold my dress down in hopes of it not flying up. The last thing I wanted was to imitate Marilyn Monroe.
I grabbed my iPod and began to play worship music, because at this point I either needed Jesus to bring me a new outfit, or remind me of His love through worship. Broken Vessels by Hillsong United began to play. I looked out the window and noticed that tears began to flow down my face. GREAT! Now my over-priced foundation and eye concealer was going to be ruined. I thought it was maybe my allergies, but it was raining and the pollen count is very low today. I wasn’t sad, so I knew that could not be the reason. And that’s when I knew that it was the Holy Spirit, because let’s be honest Jesus cares about our inward appearance more than our expensive makeup.
I sat on the bus wiping tears from my eyes as the words, “amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I am found. Was blind but now I see” played in my ears. I began to think back on the past week. I was so stressed out about school, finances and my family, but I slowly made it through the storm. I was reminded of the cross and the sacrifice that Christ made for my life. By this point more tears were running down my face. I stopped trying to wipe my eyes, because I was not in control anymore. I thought about my life 11 years ago. I thought about all of the hurt I encountered as a little girl, and all of the joy that I have now. One of my favorite Bible verses says,
“Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.” –Psalm 30:5
I went through so much pain as a little girl; I went through so much weeping. Now, as an adult I am filled with joy. I still go through trials and tribulations. There are times when I want to give up, but I know that I have a race to finish and win. Can I get an AMEN?
And the tears continued to flow. My mind and heart was so focused on Christ that I didn’t realize I was in traffic. At this point I didn’t care. I didn’t want to leave my seat. I felt Christ so near to me.
The other day my Jesus Calling devotional said,
“My everlasting Love is at work in every event of your life. On some days your will and Mind flow smoothly together. You tend to feel in control of your life when our wills are in harmony.”
And that is exactly where my spirit was—in perfect harmony with Christ. My morning may have started off pretty rough, but I didn’t act out in the flesh. He allowed Himself to hold my heart in His hands while allowing me to cry tears of joy.
“You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.” –Psalm 56:8
I love when Jesus allows Himself to be so near to me when He sometimes feels so far away from me. My prayer is that you will experience His love for you daily.
Remember that His love never fails.
-Ash
Ash Nicole Garcia 