December 20
Finding Joy
in the Journey
“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart's desires.”
Psalm 37:4 NIrV
Harry and Laura sat across from the real estate agent, a mountain of paperwork towering between them. They were house hunting, a dream they’d been chasing for years. But instead of feeling excited, they were paralyzed by anxiety.
Every decision felt monumental. Should they get a fixed-rate or variable mortgage? What if they overpaid? What if they chose the wrong neighborhood? What if the value of their investment plummeted? Fear, a cold, insidious hand, was gripping them, making it impossible to enjoy the process.
Laura felt a wave of frustration. "We're never going to find a house at this rate," she lamented, "We're so caught up in worrying about every single detail that we're missing out on the joy of the search."
Harry nodded in agreement. "You're right. We're letting fear dictate our every move." He remembered a verse he'd read that morning: "Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart's desires."
The words resonated deeply. They were so focused on the "what ifs" that they were forgetting to trust in God's guidance. They were allowing fear to overshadow the excitement of building a home together.
Taking a deep breath, Harry turned to Laura. "Let's try to enjoy this process," he said. "Let's focus on finding a place we love, a place where we can build a life together. And let's trust that God will guide us along the way."
From that moment on, they approached their house hunting with a renewed perspective. They visited open houses with a sense of adventure, focusing on the potential of each home rather than dwelling on the anxieties. They sought guidance from trusted friends and family, and they prayed for wisdom and discernment.
The journey was not without its challenges, but they faced each obstacle with a newfound sense of peace. They learned to trust in God's timing and to find joy in the process of searching for their dream home. And in the end, they found a place they loved, a place where they could begin to build a life together, grounded in faith and filled with hope.
Prayer:
Lord, help us to trust in your guidance in all areas of our lives.
Deliver us from the grip of fear and anxiety, and grant us the courage to pursue our dreams with joy and confidence.
May we find delight in your presence and in the blessings you bestow upon us.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
