We are about a month from Everett’s heart surgery. Despite my best efforts, it inevitably creeps into my mind each day. My stomach stays in knots, and rarely do I end a day without a pounding headache. I’m not ready for this again.

I look at my precious child with his big brown eyes, his mess of hair and that mischievous grin he wears all too frequently. It’s impossible to believe this is where we are again. But, it’s hard to ignore.

We escaped reality for a week at the beach, and we arrived home this weekend. As I began unpacking our clothes, I haphazardly knocked my jewelry box and a small necklace toppled to the floor. I knelt to retrieve it and stayed there. This necklace. This special little necklace. “Find Joy in the Journey” is all it reads. A sweet friend gifted this to me during Everett’s surgeries last year. And, it immediately made me recall this verse.

“Consider it pure JOY my brothers and sisters whenever you face trials of many kinds.” James 1:2

Pure Joy. Instead of allowing the dread of this month to consume us, we are going to persevere and focus on Joy, one preschool-sized act at a time.

Our mission over the next month will be a “Random Act of Kindness” each day, spearheaded by the four- and two-year-old (and, maybe a little help from Mom.) Obviously, this isn’t an original idea, and it won’t be anything earth shattering, but it is something that could potentially invoke a smile in someone that just might need it. And, that is good enough for me right now.

It’s too easy to dwell on the pain and heartache in this life. Instead of focusing on ours, we intend to sprinkle a little love here and there, and maybe in the midst of it all, we’ll find our JOY in this journey.