Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah

One of Gideon's favorite rides at Disney World was Splash Mountain. It has its origins from the 1946 Disney movie Song of the South, (currently out of production due to its "southern content") which features Uncle Remus, Br'er Rabbit, the Tar Baby, and the laughing place. But even if you haven't heard of any of that, I'm sure you've heard (and probably even sung) some lines from its famous song, Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah.

Well, yesterday Gideon was running around the house all morning singing, "Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee,ay! My oh my what a beautiful day!" over and over again.

And I really had to agree with him.

It seems as though, once again, God is already protecting me from and preparing me for the upcoming would-be due date for Benjamin. It's just days away now, and I expected to be forlorn, introspective, and a permanent resident of the land of "what if" by now.

Instead, I'm singing zip-a-dee-doo-dah.

We returned from Florida to beautiful, fall weather, and the crisp air feels like a hug from God Himself. I am keenly aware of and humbly thankful for my many, many blessings, and I can truly feel the Joy of my salvation, plus the Joy of life itself. I love my husband, our boys, our home, our friends, our family, our church. But mostly, I love that my God is a God of comfort, because I feel like He's given me divine chicken noodle soup and hot tea in the midst of the flu.

But here's what is so strange. He hasn't necessarily given me any new or different blessing than, say, a month ago.

He's just given me the ability to see and notice the blessings I already have.

So often when we go through trying times, we pray that God will "fix it." Maybe we want a rewind button or a fast forward button so we can skip past the funk or return to better days. But God is not in the business of undoing anything.

Instead, we should pray to see our circumstances through His eyes. Our blessings rather than our trials. The eternal rather than the temporal. His sovereignty rather than His mystery.

Comfort does not come in skipping over the grief. It comes in being carried through it.

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. - Psalm 28:7

I don't know about you, but I think Uncle Remus stole Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah from David. :-)