I woke up this morning (a little later than normal) to the sweetest sound of birds singing. It sounded so happy and so carefree. It took me back to a simpler time. A time when life was carefree for me. I didn’t have to worry about anything, it was all on my parents. They did the worrying. My greatest worry was which friend will I play with today? It could be Susie next door, we would read books, or sing songs out of the little country and western hymnal I had or we might just play Mouse Trap! I loved that game. Or I could be off to the Chadwick’s across the street. They were so lucky! They had a creek behind their house and we would spend hours back in the woods playing in the water and going on trails.
One thing I remember distinctly was that their mom, Wanda always sang Gospel songs as she worked. She always made me feel good. Yes life was much easier then. No responsibilities and no one looked to me for anything. There are times I admit that I would love to go back, but how could I know the mercy and grace of God without growth? It’s in the growing, living and learning that we also grow in God.
If we never go through anything we never learn how great God really is. It’s in the struggling that we see the miracles God can perform in our life. In some of the darkest times of my life is when I seem to be the closest to God. Why? Â Probably it’s because that’s when I feel I need him the most.
Really, we need Him all the time to survive in the crazy mixed up world. I don’t know about you but there have been times when I felt so discouraged and down that it seemed that God was the only one there for me. He was the only one who truly understood me. The only one who could give the comfort that I needed.
Our bus almost got the best of us this past year. It seemed like every week was another catastrophe. It was one repair bill after another, draining all of the ministry money. One day we would freeze because the heat wouldn’t work and the next we would burn up with the air not working. A few times we had no running water. It makes you want to throw your hands up in the air and give up. I prayed, “Lord please help us, we just want to sing for you. Can you make a way for us?” You know what He did and what He always does. He always provides.
One day listening to Pastor Tom Messer from Trinity Baptist Church in Jacksonville Florida he made a statement that we made into a song, When God is All You Have, God is All You Need! He truly is all we need!
Kelly Nelon Clark is a regular contributor to  SGN Scoops digital magazine. This article was first printed May 2014. For the current SGN Scoops magazine, visit http://www.sgnscoops.com/
