FINDING THE FEAST 

Yolanda Lindsay 

Today’s Scripture: “All the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.” Proverbs 15:15, ESV 

Theme: Wherever we are and whatever we face, with God’s help we can choose to have a cheerful heart. 

MEET JOE 

During my recovery from my double lung transplant, my family and I stayed in an Airbnb in Durham. It wasn’t just any Airbnb. The owners use it as a ministry, providing free housing for families who need to stay near the hospital during long medical journeys. It was one of God’s greatest gifts to us.

There was just one small problem: Joe. Joe lives next door. Every single night, without fail, Joe walks out onto his front porch and performs what I can only describe as a five-hour concert. Now when I say “concert,” I use that term very loosely. Joe sings—or maybe I should say screams—at the top of his lungs for hours. He takes short breaks, but then he’s right back at it. Every night. Like clockwork. For weeks, it drove me absolutely crazy. I told my husband, “I think we need to find another place to stay!” I didn’t care why Joe sang. I cared that Joe was loud. I was trying to recover from major surgery, and Joe apparently thought the whole neighborhood needed a free concert every evening. 

A SIMPLE HELLO 

One afternoon I was sitting on the porch when Joe walked outside. I felt God nudge me, “Say ‘hello.”’ I argued with God for a minute. “I’d really rather not.” But I finally smiled and said, “Hey, Joe.” He looked over and simply said, “What’s up?” That was it. A thirty-second conversation. Nothing about Joe had changed. He still sings every night, loudly, very loudly. But something changed in me. I stopped seeing Joe as the annoying neighbor and started seeing him as a person. A man created in God’s image. Someone with a story I don’t know. Someone who finds joy in singing, even if the rest of the neighborhood gets a front-row seat whether they bought tickets or not. Now I find myself sitting on the porch trying to figure out what song he’s singing. As the evening goes on and his “concert” gets louder, I can’t help but laugh. Funny how a changed heart can make the exact same circumstances sound completely different. 

CHOOSING THE FEAST 

The movie The Unbreakable Boy reminds us that people who seem different often become our greatest teachers. At the beginning of the film, many people see Austin only through the lens of his autism and brittle bone disease. They notice his differences, his challenges, and the ways he doesn’t fit into the world’s definition of “normal.” Even his father initially spends a lot of energy trying to protect or “fix” what he believes is broken. 

As the story unfolds, however, those same people begin to see something entirely different. They recognize Austin’s contagious joy, unwavering honesty, remarkable compassion, and unique ability to make everyone around him feel seen and valued. They discover that Austin was never the one who needed to change—their perspectives did. What they once viewed as limitations became the very qualities God used to transform the hearts of everyone around him. 

Isn’t that exactly what Jesus does for us? He teaches us to look beyond the surface, beyond the inconvenience, beyond our first impressions. The writer of Proverbs says a cheerful heart has a continual feast. My feast didn’t begin because Joe stopped singing. It began when God changed my perspective. Looking back, I almost let one loud neighbor distract me from one of God’s greatest provisions. That little Airbnb was a ministry that carried my family through one of the hardest seasons of our lives. What a shame it would have been to miss that blessing because I was so focused on one inconvenience.  

Sometimes the greatest miracle isn’t that our circumstances change. Sometimes the miracle is that God changes our hearts. 

Make It Personal: Who is your “Joe”? Is there someone you’ve already decided is too different, too difficult, or too inconvenient? Ask God to help you see that person through His eyes. You may discover that the greatest change He wants to make isn’t in them—it’s in you. 

Pray: Father, forgive me for the times I judge people before I know their story. Help me see others the way You see them—with compassion, grace, and love. Change my heart before You change my circumstances. Give me eyes to recognize Your blessings, even when they come wrapped in inconvenience. Thank You for loving me, even when I have needed my own perspective changed. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

Read: 1 Samuel 16:7, Luke 6:37–38, Philippians 2:3–5  

Weekly Memory Verse: “Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9, NLT