Meet David. He is our 46-year-old son, our fourth child. David has many limitations, the chief ones are his inability to speak and his intellectual simplicity. But he has many assets, such as faith, a worshiping heart, and JOY. He is the happiest person I know.

There is no problem or distress too big for God, so David prays. About everything. And then he walks away with joy because God’s got this. You may have skimmed over the words “about everything.” That is not an exaggeration.  

On our way to church Sunday morning, we saw two police cars with flashing lights. One officer was headed to the back of the house, the other to the front door. Prayer is as natural as breathing for David. He folded his hands to signify that we needed to pray. We prayed for the people who had a problem, for wisdom for the police, for safety for all involved. Amen.

No, not amen. This was not enough for David. He signed “Jesus.” The prayer wasn’t over until we asked that everyone involved would know Jesus. David’s faith was activated, and his joy was complete. Amen.

So I ask, could I be the deficient person? Me, with my great understanding, who can stress over media reports, or personal bad news that drains my joy? It’s certainly not David. His simple prayers are enough for any stressful situation because he lives Nehemiah 8:10:

“Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”