Choosing Joy When “But” Gets in the Way
Choosing Joy
Last night I was talking with some good friends who are having a very hard time right now. I knew about their struggles so when I asked them how they were it didn’t surprise me when they said, “Everything is okay but…..”
I know what they mean. Too often everything is okay with me but…… Yesterday I lost my cell phone. I had a stomach bug and felt bad. I didn’t get any work done or supper cooked. But…..
I did wake up yesterday morning (even if I didn’t feel well). I did get to spend the day with 2 of my grandchildren. I did get to go to a Bible study last night and hear a wonderful lesson on the book of Romans. I got to sleep in a soft bed and all my loved ones had checked in with me at some point during the day (before I lost my cell phone) and I knew they were okay.
So how do we choose joy even when there are problems (sometimes very serious ones) in our lives?
When my mother was dying of terminal cancer it was hard to choose joy., but (there’s that word again) there were moments of joy. Bill and I had 3 young children at the time who were aware that Grandma was sick but that didn’t stop them from being kids. They brought joy into a house that desperately needed it at the time.
Even though mom knew she was dying, she wanted to focus on joy too. She insisted on taking us to Disney World even when she knew she would be in a wheel chair and probably on pain medication. She made it just fine and loved seeing her grandchildren experience Disney for the first time.
Focusing on joy is tough sometimes because life can be terribly hard. I’m not naive. I haven’t gotten to be as old as I am without realizing that life isn’t fair and sometimes when it rains it pours and other times it comes a flood that you feel like you are drowning in. Sometimes we need help finding joy and there are plenty of qualified people who are only a phone call away.
For me and for others, faith is where we find joy. Faith is not something I can give you. It’s something you have to first want it and then be willing to work at it. It starts out small and over time if it’s watered and fed, like a plant, it will take root and grow.
Faith helps prioritize things so that when the bumps in the road happen (and they always do) we can hang on to a higher power who loves us beyond measure. Faith brings peace.
When life threatens to steal your joy there is a way to focus on the positive and have peace. There is a way to remove the “but” from our lives if we give God the glory, honor and trust Him to lead us through our trials and tribulations.
Are you choosing joy? If not, why not? You can if you are determined and persistent. God will help you!
Very good post!!
When I was a child, probably 5 or 6 years old, I had a bad dream. My mom came in to comfort me. I can’t remember the exact question I asked, but I remember my mom’s advice to this day (I’m 55 years old): “Think of something happy.” And it’s basically how I’ve approached life ever since. We are led to believe that happy people must not have suffered any hardships, but that’s just not true. It doesn’t matter who you talk to – everyone has had hard things in their lives. It comes down to a matter of focus – and perhaps temperament.
(I don’t know if I focus on joy because I heard great advice at a young age, or if I remember the advice because it is within my temperament to focus on joy.)