Growing a Mother's HeartSample

# The Joy Lady, Barbara Johnson (Historic Mom) Some days we want to turn in our mom badges. Toilets overflow; children break a favorite keepsake, and grape juice spills all over the table and floor. Most of the time we can laugh about the problems on another day. One woman, who many moms admired, chose joy in the worst scenarios of life. A mother of four, a humorist, popular speaker, and author, Barbara Johnson always trusted God and looked for blessings around her. After doctors stated her husband would never be healed from a severe accident, Barbara and her teen sons kept praying. A year later Bill returned to work, fully restored. How they rejoiced! Barbara and Bill raised four sons and experienced the loss of two of them, one during the Vietnam War and one killed by a drunk driver. She experienced years of alienation from one son who walked away from God along with the joy of his return to follow Christ. Barbara’s faith kept her going as did her joy box. She filled a shoebox with little mementos that gave her joy. It included a joke book from when her boys were little. She continued to collect items, including lots of jokes. Her box overflowed into a joy room. As a mother, Barbara reached out to other mothers. She started a ministry and gave encouragement to many parents with her words such as, “Live for today, but hold your hands open to tomorrow. Anticipate the future and its changes with joy. There is a seed of God’s love in every event, every unpleasant situation in which you may find yourself.” There are days when we wonder if we can smile again. Those are days to trust God and know and reflect on Barbara describing tears as being crystalized jewels to God. Today’s Mom Step: Choose to trust God and find joy, in spite of the circumstances.