An Evening of "Joy, Peace and Realizing the Beauty of Trials"

I'm a little bit behind with my posts so bear with me. So, going back a few weeks....I attended a women's tea/fellowship at Grace Community Church. If you remember many months ago, a pastor at Grace helped us through the muddy challenges of the mourning process. He has been keeping us in his prayers and invited me to attend this women's gathering. The speaker for the event was Toya Tyler...she is mom to Kiara, the little girl who occupied a room next to Elyse in the BMT Unit. If you remember back in June, Kiara also went to be with the Lord. Despite how much she must miss her little one, Toya remains strong in her faith in our God. She is not only unwavering in her faith in the Lord but she is so grateful for so many opportunities for her to share the gospel. She's not shy about sharing how God lovingly carried her family through their trials.

When I arrived there, there were many ladies greeting all the attendees. There were unique mugs to fit every personality for tea. There were mini macaroons that were calling out to me. I probably had far too many of these but oh well...when do I get the opportunity to chat with some ladies and munch on goodies all evening. So, I got up and got another plateful, sat down and chatted away with the ladies at my table. We introduced ourselves and quickly discovered that one of the young ladies (I happen to sit at the single ladies' table)is a nurse at CHLA's BMT. She told me that she started working there right around the time Elyse was admitted. She also said that she had been praying for our family all this time since Elyse passed. I was moved to tears. I really am so thankful for all the love that surrounds our family. It truly warms our inside to know that there are people who not only remember us but pray for us.

We sang "As The Deer" and "You are My Hiding Place." It was the first time in a long time I heard these songs. When Toya took the mic, she really was exuding joy and peace that can only come from her faith in the Lord. She explained that "True joy is the experience of well-being, not because of circumstances, but because of the deep down confidence that God is in charge of everything and that it is all moving for my good and His glory." (Grace to You - "Fundamental Christian Attitudes:JOY," John MacArthur). And "Spiritual peace, the true deep-down peace is the confidence that everything is right between myself and God. It is the presence of a calm assurance built on the knowledge that my sins are forgiven, God is concerned with my well-being and Heaven is ahead. It is the peace that God gives to His beloved children." (Grace to You - "Peace in Every Circumstance," John MacArthur)
She quoted a verse from the Bible: "My peace I give unto you, not as the world gives I give unto you, neither let your heart be troubled nor let it be afraid." (John 14:27). Regarding trials, she said, "God uses them to prove the genuineness of your faith and increase your joy and spiritual endurance." (Grace Today Devotional, John MacArthur). She also gave us this verse: "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance." (James 1:2-3).

Toya held my hand and took the time to encourage me. She is a great source of encouragement and strength. I suppose we connect on a level that only BMT parents who lost their little ones can. Thank you, Toya, for your inspiration.