One decade ago, I was the mother of two toddlers, who were just shy of two years apart. As you might imagine, I didn’t have much time to myself. Anyone who is, or has been, or has ever even been in the same room as a mother of little ones is not shocked by this statement. Her life in this season is often not her own.

That lack of alone time wouldn’t have been much of an issue for me, except for the fact that several circumstances in this particular chapter of life were quite challenging. My husband and I were facing many hardships (understatement), and our relationship was sufficiently strained (extreme understatement).

There were days when I really wanted to have a pity party. I felt like life had stuck a “Kick Me” sign on my back, and I would half-jokingly ask aloud to no one in particular, “Am I Job or something?! What’s the deal?!”

In truth, I knew I was nowhere near Job status. We had many blessings, so I tried to keep my focus on counting them often and staying cheerful for my children. I didn’t have the option to excuse myself— due to the aforementioned lack of privacy— should the tears associated with the present trials try to stream down my cheeks, so I needed to hold it together!

On one particular day, though, it seemed as if every imaginable source of stress and sadness had converged in a concerted effort to overthrow my will to remain stoic in the face of suffering. No major event had occurred that morning; it was just the moment when the last straw fell. I’d been hit with one too many blasts of bad news, and discouragement disarmed me.

So there I sat, sobbing in my kids’ bedroom while they played. I lowered my head and brushed off the tears; I didn’t want their little hearts to be troubled, but there was no hiding my heartache.

My inability to “chin up” added to a gnawing sense of helplessness and failure inside of me, because I couldn’t even hold myself together enough to spare my children from becoming concerned. How could I be so weak?!

I tried smiling through the salty waterworks. My two-year-old daughter seemed blissfully unaware, but I would soon discover that my four-year-old son, James, wasn’t buying my act.

He abruptly left his toys behind and walked to where I was seated. I felt his tiny hand patting me soothingly on the back as he said compassionately and confidently, “Mommy, don’t cry…there’s nothing to worry about.”

My heart melted. The kindness, the thoughtfulness, and the love of my sweet son were such beautiful treasures to behold. He seemed wise beyond his years, and I knew he was absolutely right.

I hugged him tightly and thanked him, reassuring him that I was fine. Of course, my external circumstances had not changed a bit, but something certainly had shifted, ever so slightly, inside of me. He brought me comfort, hope, and perspective.

What a relief to know that my tears wouldn’t destroy his sense of peace; he knew the truth better than I did! The seeds of faith that had been planted in his tiny heart were growing and blooming.

As I sat and reflected, I could see clearly that my job wasn’t to try to be the “perfect” parent, never letting my kids see my weakness. It was to just keep pointing my kids to the One who is strong and whose strength is made perfect in my weakness (2 Cor. 12:9).

I wanted to remember that moment forever, so I decided to jot down what James said on a piece of paper. When I wrote out his wise words, I included his name and the date beside the quote. That’s when something caught my attention. I had written:

“Mommy, don’t cry…there’s nothing to worry about. ” -James, 5/10/11

It occurred me that it looked like a Bible verse when written that way, and I sensed a nudge to look up what the actual James 5:10-11 says in Scripture. I couldn’t believe my eyes!

^“Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy” (James 5:10-11, NIV).

I was stunned! God was speaking to me, reminding me to persevere, and promising blessings and deliverance! As if that were not amazing enough, He used my four-year-old as His representative to get me that message!

I took the handwritten note and made a typed version on my computer with the Bible verse beneath it, so that I could print it out, put it on my refrigerator, and be reminded of that miracle every day.

It stayed on my fridge for several years, and as you can see in this picture, it has been through the ringer! Water damage and a few stains, spaghetti sauce or paint splats (I’m guessing!), add to its character.

This ratty piece of paper is valuable to me because it served as a reminder on many difficult days that God saw my pain, and He didn’t leave me to deal with it on my own. He did what only He could do to get my attention, promising me that my suffering was not in vain. He filled my ache with an expectation to receive beauty for ashes.

As nearly ten years have passed since that day, I am able to look at that paper now with an even greater sense of awe and appreciation. So many obstacles that seemed insurmountable for my husband and I back then were clearly not impossible for God to move in His timing! His mighty hand made a way for us miraculously over the following years.

Yes, years. It was a slow, often painful journey, but there were so many gracious gifts from God along the way. I wouldn’t trade those encounters with Him for all the smooth-sailing in the world.

As life presents new challenges, I can recall His faithfulness. I can remind myself that the trials I face may not disappear instantly, but the power they hold over me can be broken in a moment by God’s exceedingly more powerful presence. I can have an expectation that His joy will be my strength (Nehemiah 8:10).

And so can you.

Have you ever experienced joy when you were facing hardship? Or have you ever been surprised by the representative God used to speak His Truth to you in your life? I’d love to hear about it!