"Joy is not necessarily the absence of suffering, it is the presence of God."
~ Sam Storms
Joy.
This word has been on my mind a lot lately.
The world around us seems to have a profound lack of joy at the moment.
I've been listening Rhonda Jones on YouTube each morning and the video I'm enjoying most right now is "Be Filled With All Joy." In the beginning of this meditation she reminds her listeners that when we know that God is working all things for our good our rightful response is joy.
For me, the biggest enemy of joy is focusing on the wrong thing. When I allow my focus to be on the things that look negative to me, I find that joy naturally slips away. For years I have dealt with ongoing physical pain. At any given moment if I were asked if anything hurts I could give a long list. Some days are worse than others. Nights are the very worst. It's a deep ache in my bones and joints and muscles that is mild on good days and flu like on bad days. Some days (thankfully these are rare) my clothing against my skin or the breeze on my face is painful. Along with this, on many days it is accompanied by mind numbing fatigue no matter how much sleep I've had. I've had this since my mid-teens. I don't write this to say poor me or to throw pity party. I've long hesitated to share this because it is not where I want my focus to be. I do not want this to define me. But I want to share what I am learning about living in joy regardless of the circumstances.
Do I think this is "my cross to bear" (insert Eeyore)? No, the cross has already taken this! Do I believe God could heal me? Absolutely! But is that a prerequisite for living in joy? Absolutely not! Do I believe God caused this so that I would lean on Him? No! We live in a broken world. But God, in His love for us, gives us the strength to live above that brokenness. When I focus on the pain, the pain rules. When I focus on God, His love for me, the beautiful plans He has for my life, and allow His Presence and His Holy Spirit to fill me with joy, the pain may not disappear but becomes secondary. Because allowing His joy to fill me does not take away the problem but gives me the strength to move past the problem, to rise above it. It gives me the strength, in ways that are difficult to put into words, to live on a different plane.
What does this look like on a practical level for me?
For me it is being aware moment by moment of the Presence of God through the things around me. It is understanding that all things beautiful come from Him. He surrounds me with His love and beauty.
It is waking up every morning knowing that God delights in me.
It is daily doing my best to fulfill the calling, with His help, that God has on my life.
It is hearing the laughter of a child.
It is hugging my dog and feeling his incredibly soft fur (Bear has the softest fur I have ever!) and wiggles of joy.
It is listening to the birds sing in the morning.
It is feeling the warm sun on my face.
It is noticing the amazing variety of shades of green in the grass, plants and trees around me.
It is hearing the roosters crow in the morning (I don't know if this brings my neighbors joy but it certainly does me.)
It is watching my little hens enjoy their freedom in the big chicken coop.
Sometimes, it is a bowl of Doritos (I know, I have a Dorito problem.)
It is going to bed at night and hearing God whisper "I love you, and you are safe with me."
It is simply knowing, moment by moment, day by day, that there is something so much greater than me, beauty beyond my imagination, love that knows no end, and that I get to be a part of it!
This is joy!
. . . the joy of the Lord is your strength.
~ Nehemiah 8:10
I love how and what you write.❤️
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