Facets of Faith

Conversations about life, faith, and friendship.

Is 2020 Feeling Blurry?

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Hi Friends! Welcome back to Facets of Faith this fine Tuesday.  I hope amidst all the anticipation of the new year and new decade, you are finding joy in each and every new day.  This month we are sharing how we see 2020.  How do you see 2020?  Take a minute to jump back a couple weeks to Tracy’s post on finding joy, here, and check out Jen’s thoughts from last week on planning for 2020, here.  I pray that as we take on a new year here at FACETS, God will be moving in this community, and encouraging each of us.

How Do You See 2020? (Megan)

Last year I had a word of the year—rest.  It started as finding time to slow down and sit with the Lord without an agenda, transformed into learning about the sabbath, and eventually was something that gave me space for healing I really needed.  When it was first revealed, though, I was honestly a bit frustrated. I didn’t know where it would lead. It was as if the mental movie of my future felt out of focus because the word could either lead a million places, or nowhere.  How did God want me to act on “rest”?

Have you ever been there?  Where you prayed for what God had in store for you in the season, and the answer was just blurry enough you were left wondering, “What in the world, God? Where are we going?” If I’m honest, I’m right there again this year. I have been in a season of rest that feels like it prepared me for a whirlwind season. I haven’t quite settled on one word, but I feel full of anticipation for the new adventures ahead in this year. Do you know what isn’t so good, though, for jumping feet first into a new adventure?  

A walking cast. 

How does this make sense?  They aren’t exactly made for jumping, or running, and I’m not even entirely convinced they are made for walking! Definitely not for speed or excitement. When I was considering new adventures in the new year, this wasn’t quite what I meant. But here I am taking one wobbly step forward at the speed of a sloth.

SO WHERE ARE WE GOING GOD?

When I’m really confused and don’t quite know how to pray, I usually end up in the Psalms. I know this is maybe a bit more literal than it should actually be taken, but I prayed Psalm 119:105 over and over again as I was trying to figure out where God was leading me. 

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105 (ESV)  

Praying that I would find clarity in His word for what I should be learning about “rest.” I have been thinking back on it, and the same image keeps coming to mind: trying to find my destination in complete darkness.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND

Several years ago I spent a few years living in a small village in rural southern Belize.  There were 254 people, we spoke Q’eqchi, the village was surrounded by rainforest and plantations, and there was no electricity for miles. When the moon was full, or close to full, you could walk around without a flashlight in areas you were familiar with and be alright, but during that new moon time, it was dark. Can’t see the next step in front of you dark. The stars were amazingly beautiful, but flashlights were a requirement for life.

A few things you should know to fully appreciate where we are going: 

  1. My bathroom was a latrine about 100ft from my house, and my water spigot where I could wash my hands or dishes was about 50 feet away in a little shed that also housed a tarantula I named Charlotte and often a giant k’oopopo’ (toad);
  2. The shop in my village didn’t sell batteries so if I forgot them on my weekly trip to the market town, I was out of luck; 
  3. Batteries die much faster when it is over 100 degrees everyday, and
  4. I didn’t often plan ahead.

UTTER DARKNESS

So I vividly remember what it was like the first time my flashlight died and I tried to walk to the bathroom without it.  I also remember the first time I tried to walk down the path using a candle for light. Flashlights light up the whole path in front of you. You can see clearly what you are approaching, and easily find your way. Candles, not so much; they glow in your face. You can see your next step, but not much of anything further than that. I knew exactly where my water spigot was in relationship to my house, but I had no idea where Charlotte would be. When I had a candle, it was one step at a time, and a lot of praying away the tarantulas.    

FOLLOW THE LIGHT

I think walking with God bounces back and forth between taking the path with a candle, and taking the path with a flashlight.  There have been times where I have peace about decisions, a vision for where I am going, and am confident about the path to get there. There are other times that it is literally minute-by-minute. Either way, God is revealing the path as we go, just sometimes He is using a flashlight, and sometimes He seems to be using a candle. I often want the full moon version where I can see everything clearly.  

BY MY VISION

Even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.”  Psalm 139:12 (ESV)

As someone who likes to understand everything, and really know what the plan is, I struggle with only having a candle light the next step.  It isn’t comfortable. It is hard. It requires a lot of trust. I have read and prayed through Psalm 139 almost daily for the last week. It reminds me that God knows me, He surrounds me, He protects me, and He is going wherever I go. How comforting are these words:

Even then You will be there to guide me; Your right hand will embrace me, for You are always there. Even if I am afraid and think to myself, “There is no doubt that the darkness will swallow me, the light around me will soon be turned to night,” You can see in the dark, for it is not dark to Your eyes. For You the night is just as bright as the day. Darkness and light are the same to Your eyes.” Psalm 139:10-12 (Voice)

I have to trust the One who sees everything to guide me. The One who, whether it is dark or light, sees where I am going, and surrounds me. It is less about seeing clearly where I am going, and more about trusting the One who is guiding me.

REJOICE IN THE PROTECTION

I wonder sometimes what I didn’t see when I was walking to the latrine, or the water spigot, or to my neighbor’s house down the road after dark.  Even with the flashlight I only saw what was lit by the flashlight or candle. I saw what I needed to see in that moment. Sometimes I wonder what all I didn’t see. Men went spear fishing in the river and hunting in the bush in the middle of the night. For a period of time, there was a jaguar that was coming into the village and stealing chickens and pigs from my neighbors pens. Can you imagine if I had seen it all? Every tarantula, person, snake, rat, jaguar... everything that could possibly have crossed my path? Ugh, I never would have stepped out of my house.

STEP BY STEP WE MOVE FORWARD

So let’s back up to the word for the year.  I’m not sure what yours is, but mine is something related to anticipation (which is actually kind of funny considering it implies some sort of unknown is involved, I think I just found my word).  What if God revealed today everything we were going to experience or learn throughout the year related to our words in one moment? Would it feel kind of like stepping out of my house in the village if every creature was illuminated?

I am going to pray we can rejoice in taking today’s steps today, and patiently trust God to reveal tomorrow’s steps tomorrow.  Even if they are wobbly and taken at the pace of a sloth.

Thanks for stopping by today. Let us know what word you are walking towards in a comment below, or at the FACETS Facebook Page. We’d love to hear from you!

 

See 2020: as an Opportunity

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Hey, friend, welcome to FACETS. It’s a new year, a new decade, and we want to know how you see 2020. Do you see 2020 as an opportunity? We had a ton of fun taking pictures together to celebrate the new year. Take a look at our team picture and signatures in January. Aren’t they great? We’re writing about seeing 2020 this month, and we hope your hearts are touched or encouraged. Tracy shared her heartfelt post here. Look for Megan’s post next week, and then our guest (Sharon Porter!) will be joining us the following week.

How Do You See 2020? (Jennifer)

I (Jennifer) sit at the hidey hole on writing days. I really love days in January when everything is set aside to reflect and plan. Suddenly, I’ve got perspective on 2020 like Anne of Green Gables—It’s a fresh year “with no mistakes in it yet.”¹

At the hidey hole coffee shop, I bounce between casual glances at the characters drifting in and a laser-focused stare at my screen waiting for something to happen. Background music drones (I’ve heard the track 3 times by now), and I’m wondering what this new year holds.

I send a text to a friend on January 2nd: “I’ve planned the whole year.” She replies with several emojis and exclamation marks. She asks if I’d plan her year, too. I dish: “You know I plan loosely, right?”

That’s not the whole story, not even the whole truth.

“The best-laid plans…”²

Welcome to my Enneagram-5-with-balanced-wings 2020 plan! It’s scheduled 30-minute increments, significant activities to grow me and to grow with my friends (read: a ton of cerebral focus and development), a-a-a-a-a-and overlooking some minor details in the creative process. When I say I sprawl over this part of the Enneagram diagram, I’m not kidding. It’s really entertaining when this 5 in flight wobbles left and right on the wings. Imagine an albatross taking off.

I planned in my journal and scheduled all the things in my calendar (knowing the alerts on my phone would be exactly as I like). I set my bedtime and waking alarm, and the morning ritual alerts would follow. Perfection!

“…often go awry.”²

Day One:
*Alarm* [Hit snooze. Bedtime was pushed to make iCal events.]
*Feed the dogs.* [Motivated—a Pavlovian response started 9 minutes ago. Bowls divvied. I’m under the covers again. I wonder how that happened—]
*Walk the dogs.* [More like: Get out of bed again! It’s still dark out. I’m bewildered.]
*Quiet time.* [It’s quiet when the dogs are outside…even without a walk. VISION is my word for the year. I’ll study that.]
*Head to the Food Triangle.* [Time’s up! Groceries don’t buy themselves.]
*Growth time.* [I love this! Great podcasts on the drive and as I buzz through grocery stores.]
*Chiropractor.* [Taking care of my body is important!]
*Workout.* [Now I maladjust the adjustment I just got.]

All before 10 AM. Eventually, I gained momentum and enjoyed the day, but do you see what I did there? I planned every second of my mornings pretty much like this, and there were problems.

“The devil fools with the best laid plans.” ³

I love to see my time used well. I’m also a creature of habit. I made the assumption I could plan this kind of morning for effective use of time, to build a perfect routine, and to create new habits that were lacking at the end of the last decade. (This is why my resolutions are resolved quickly most years.)

I planned, but I ignored the most important things in life.

God

I planned without considering the wisdom He offers. He knows what I need each day from one minute to the next—what my body, mind, and soul really need. I planned my own way. His way would be better.

Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established. Proverbs 16:3

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts, there is no room for God. Proverbs 10:4 (NIV)

God is good. His plans and purposes are good. All. The. Time. What would have happened if I had leaned into God’s wisdom and whispers when I formed a plan? I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have been completely exhausted reading it! Don’t get me wrong, we are made to work and create with excellence. But work looks different governed by wisdom and led by the Spirit. I may have missed both in my process.

Laws of Nature

Sunrise happens at a certain time of day. I didn’t consider what time that might be, so I ended up at a fork in the road: follow the plan or realize it conflicted with sensibility. Walking my dog in the wee hours isn’t wise when I know the neighborhood skunks are still ambling around the drainage ditches before the sun comes up.

“The universe obeys certain rules—laws to which all things must adhere. These laws are precise, and many of them are mathematical in nature.” 4

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: Ecclesiastes 3:1

Sunrise is mathematical. My phone offers that information…if I search for it. Otherwise, a life lesson is given as I stand at the back door, baffled at the early morning darkness. There is also a “right time” for everything. That means, for example, it may be time to write or reflect, and it may not be time to publish the manuscript. (I’m always thinking about writing…)

Rhythms of Life

The body and mind are created for work and rest. I need both. Poor planning—scheduling my mornings without breathing room—resulted in a sense of failure, and a train wreck that morning and every morning I tried it. (I took a run at this schedule for a whole week of “fun”!)

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Exodus 20:8

Six days you shall labor and do all your work, Deuteronomy 5:13

So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, Hebrews 4:9

The Bible reminds me I need a day of rest, which I’m usually very good at. My mind and body remind me I need mini-breaks along the way. When I was a full-time sign language interpreter in the schools, a funny little “brain glitch” reminded me at busy times that my threshold was 20 minutes. A little “hiccup,” and I could continue, but it happened no matter how much experience I gained. The research says it’s perfectly normal. That’s what the majority of brains will do, for good reason.

I assumed that, because I picked most of my favorite things, I would move seamlessly through the alerts. Wrong-o! My mind desperately needs quiet and rest. In fact, the overbooked schedule made me crave silence before 10 AM.

“Uncle?”

I wrestled with a question my husband and I tossed around: How do I know if it’s a bad schedule, or if I’m just not leaning in and choosing to build the habits? If I pick up a thread of perfection in my fabric, I say, “I’m not doing it right. The plan was perfect, and I’m messing it up.” If I decide to be more realistic, I say, “The plan is rotten, not me. But why make any plans if I created this monstrosity?” The worst response could be, “This sucks. I suck. Everything sucks!” There has to be another option!

Opportunity knocks…

“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” —Henry Ford

How can I see 2020 differently two weeks in? What could happen if I see the 2020 plan “flop” as an opportunity to start again? What if “more intelligently” means leaning into the wisdom I can access in the Bible, through prayer, and by attending to what my mind and body have to say? What do you think?

What I really want know is—

What’s your 2020 planning process like?
What do you hope for in 2020?
How do you see 20/20 (read: clearly!) in 2020?
How’s 2020 treating you so far?

Thanks for reading along. Pop a comment below or at the FACETS Facebook Page. We’d love to hear from you! And, as always, sharing is caring…

Signature: Jennifer 2020

 

 

 

 

 

1 L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables.
2 Robert Burns, “To a Mouse.”
3 Neil Young, “Alabama.”
4 Dr. Jason Lisle, “God & Natural Law,” Answers in Genesis.

How Do You See 2020?

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This is the not the piece I thought I’d be writing when the Facets team selected our topic. However, God knew. He is fully aware of each of our situations, and I am reminded of this as I navigate these waters, the ones I wish I weren’t swimming in.  Through it all, I know the Lord is FAITHFUL.  That is a certainty, an anchor I can cling to.  And I do.

I was going to bypass selecting a word for the new year (a word to live by and guide me like a compass in case you are unfamiliar with the idea).  I felt like everyone was doing it now, and I’m not one who wants to do what everyone else is doing.  I also don’t want to get into a spiritual rut, and just do something because I’ve always done it a certain way.  In my opinion, that’s how faith becomes stale and flat.  God is alive and vibrant and always up to new things.

However.

However, God began stirring my heart in late December to select a word as my compass for 2020.  I’ll spare you all the details of how we landed on the word “Joy”, because those aren’t all that important to anyone other than myself.  So, my primary word for the year is “Joy”, and I believe God gave me a secondary word “Refreshment”. He gave me a picture of a book title where there’s a primary, larger title coupled with a secondary, smaller one.  I believe refreshment is a byproduct of joy, so it makes sense to me that God would couple them together.

It might look something like this:

JOY

Refreshment

 

A generous person will prosper;

   whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.─Proverbs 11:25 NIV

I really liked this verse when God pointed it out to me.  I could wrap my brain around the idea of refreshing others.  I have learned it really IS a blessing.  In God’s goodness, He shows us how wonderful we feel when we do good unto others.  There’s so much self-absorption in the world (and I’m not immune to it myself).  But when I remember the goodness of the Lord, how truly good He has been to me, and I allow myself to be a part of His plan, it’s beautiful.  Magnificent (not because of anything I get to do) …. Please don’t mistake what I’m saying.  I’m sharing because God blesses US so much when we do.  Even in the hard moments, like this one if I’m being honest, He is blessing me.  So, my hope is that God uses me to refresh you, and in the refreshing, I too am refreshed.  Because I need it. And He knows it!

Recently, I received heart breaking news someone precious to me died of a drug overdose.  The news took my breath away.  I went into a state of shock and grief threatened to overwhelm my heart at the futility of it.  I couldn’t process what had happened to this precious one in that moment.  I had to put it in a box and place it on a shelf with the help of Jesus.  Jesus, you know I can’t engage in this right now.  Please help me to keep the emotions at bay until I can safely process them with You.

God is faithful. He answered my prayer.  Thank You, Jesus!  He gave me His grace to engage in activities I had to take care of (for hours and hours).  About 6 hours after hearing the news, I was finally able to let myself consider what happened.  I pulled over in a school parking lot, not even waiting until I arrived home.  Slowly, I turned the valve of emotion on.  Like a torrent, tears flooded.  I’d come prepared.  There was a box of tissues in my passenger seat.  I knew when I finally let myself “go there” I’d need them.

The tragedy of her death broke my heart (still does).  I consider her family, her children, and all the things she dreamed of doing.  I got the privilege and honor of walking closely alongside this precious one for the better part of a year almost every day. I heard her story, the hard bits, the things she’d had to overcome. She was brave. She was special. She learned how much the Lord loves her and received healing from the One with the most tender of touch.  She overcame much. She learned to grieve, a treasured moment too sacred to share publicly, but I got to see God at work in her life.  Powerfully.  And it was beautiful.

As I consider one of my treasured memories of her, I am reminded of the importance of grieving a loss in season.  So, I give myself permission to grieve.  It’s healthy. And then I search out Joy. Because I have to do that too.  She’d want God to do good things with it, and so I will.  I’ll fight my way through it.  I am fighting my way through it.

God gave me the word “Joy” before her death, knowing I’d need to seek Joy, to search it out, and to use it to find my way back to Him and to hope.

Joy isn’t the absence of sorrow.  It’s a choice. Especially in times like these.

Until now you have not asked for anything in my name.  Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.─John 14:24

This was advice Jesus gave to the disciples, preparing them for the grief they’d experience at His death and all they’d endure. I believe it is for us as well.  Part of the choosing of joy can only be sourced in the name of Jesus.  When we can’t get to that place on our own, we can turn to Him.  We ask. We receive. And our joy is complete even in our grief.

Sourcing Joy on our good days is easy.  It’s in the dark days that we need Him to hold our hand and walk us into the radiant light of His presence which will always lead us closer to Him and point us to every fruit of the spirit, including joy.  It’s part of our “DNA”. It’s in us if we are believers.  We have love, JOY, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, & self-control (Gal 5:22).  Through prayer, God helps us access Joy.  Sometimes, it’s supernatural.

How do I know? He’s done it for me.  He’s DOING IT for me.

So, how DO I see 2020?

My vision blurred.  My ears rang.  Head throbbed. All my senses impacted in early 2020 with the horrible news of someone precious leaving this world far too soon, someone who had so much potential, someone who struggled (as we all do in some way or another).

Yet.

Yet there is victory.  Her story isn’t over.  God is using hers to help write others’ stories too.  I know He won’t waste what happened to her.  I’ve asked Him to wring every ounce of good He possibly can from the tragedy of her death.  Somehow, some way, He will use it for good (even though her death is not good, not at all).

Maybe you are reading this and you struggle with addiction. Get help! You have so much more to do and you CAN have victory with Christ’s help.  Don’t struggle alone.  It’s a dangerous place to live.  Surround yourself with God’s love, healthy people who have traveled the same path and are standing on the other side (NA, AA, Celebrate Recovery – whatever works best for you), and find people to encourage you on your recovery journey.  Fight!  Because your life MATTERS!  People will MISS YOU if you aren’t here.  FIGHT!  You have it in you!  Don’t give up on yourself or your future.  You are too important to this world. Whatever healing you need to do, let God do it with you.  There’s a reason for addiction. No one chooses it. No one.  Whatever the hurt is beneath, don’t bury it. Look at it in 2020 and let God give you a clearer vision of what He has for you.  Bring it into the light of God’s love and let Him heal it. If you need professional help, seek it. Don’t ever be ashamed. We all need help sometimes.  All.  It’s what we’re supposed to do.  God calls us to love one another.  Helping each other …. Well, that’s part of God’s plan.  If you feel alone, know that you NEVER are.  God is closer than a breath. He won’t let you down.  His love will meet you right where you are.  He’s been in bars, strip clubs, prisons, hotel rooms, and in a house that feels lonely because you’re the only one in it.  His presence isn’t just for church.  His church is everywhere, not confined to a building.  Remember that.

So, how DO I see 2020?

How Do You See 2020? (Tracy)The fog clears and lifts. It doesn’t stay cloudy forever when we fight back with Joy.  So, I CHOOSE to see 2020 through eyes of Joy. It’s what God has called me to. He calls us all to Joy.  (And this joyful photo was taken before Christmas, before I knew I needed a smile.)

Why is Joy so important?  I believe God placed a few ideas on my heart as I navigate these waters. He wants me to know this, but I believe He wants you to know these things too.

Joy is our Comfort

God doesn’t want us mired down in our grief, whatever the loss. It could be the death of someone precious, it could be the loss of a job, the loss of a dream, etc.  There are a lot of things that feel as if they are snatched away too soon.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.─Matthew 5:5 NIV

God’s word says we are blessed as we mourn. Why? Because God comforts us in our loss.  He sees our heartbreak. He sees our brokenness, and He gives us the gift of His presence in special ways.  I always feel closest to Him when I need Him most.  I see Him more easily because I’m seeking Him more earnestly. Where are You in this, God? I need to see You.  I need to know You are near.  Show me evidence of You. I need You to minister to me.

 And He does.

Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.─Psalm 126:5 NKJV (emphasis mine)

We reap a harvest of joy as we allow God to comfort us.  Joy is one of the tools He uses to effectively minister to our hearts, helping us to hold our head up and keep going.  So, when you find yourself wondering, Why are you so downcast, oh my soul? (Psalm 43:5)  Pray that God ministers to you through His ministry of joy which brings comfort beyond our comprehension.

Joy is our Peace

When we look at the fruit of the spirit, we see peace positioned directly after joy.

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives:  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!─Galatians 5:22-23 NLT (emphasis mine)

I don’t believe anything is accidental in Scripture, including the proximity of joy to peace.  Perhaps peace is best possible out of the overflow of joy.  The good news is that if you look closely at the verse, God is the One producing it.  When we ask for His help, He’ll help us access it.  Some days we just won’t naturally have Joy in our hearts. It’s especially in those times we should seek His Joy so we can walk in peace.

The enemy has an all-out war waged against our peace.  He’s trying to render us ineffective.  We can fight back with Joy.  Need more assurance this “Joy thing” isn’t all on you?  Let’s see what this scripture has to say.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.─Romans 15:13 NIV (emphasis mine)

Our God of hope will fill us with all joy and peace.  Our part? Trust in Him.

Okay, God.  We don’t always understand, but we will trust You.  Please fill us with all joy and peace.  Let us walk in joy and the peace of knowing You are never caught off guard by our circumstances.  We find peace in Your presence.  It’s also where we find fullness of joy.  Forevermore.  (Psalm 16:11)

Joy is our Calling

Pray that I may be kept safe…so that I may come to you with joy, by God’s will and in your company be refreshed.─Romans 15-31-32 NIV (emphasis mine)

The Apostle Paul prayed he would be kept safe so he could carry out His assignment.  Paul’s desire was to come to others WITH JOY BY GOD’S WILL.  God has assignments for each of us to complete.  In part, that is our calling.  But we are also called to do it with joy by God’s will.  How we do what God has set before us is just as important as what He sets before us.  When we spend time with others on mission, we help one another.  When one falls down, the other lifts him or her up.  That’s by God’s design.  I have been refreshed by others in my moments of weakness, even knowing they are praying for me helps beyond measure.

Let’s be that refreshment for one another.  Let’s come to one another with Joy by God’s will in what we do each day.  None of us knows what another person is going through.  God does.  When He calls us to a person, there is always purpose in it─for them, for us.  Let’s refresh one another with Joy. The world is weary. We are called to be different.

You may be wondering how we can fulfill this calling of Joy when, sometimes, it’s incredibly hard.  Keep reading. =)

Joy is our Strength

How do we do “the hard thing” and exhibit joy when, if it were left to us, that wouldn’t be our disposition based on circumstances?

Well, we don’t have to be strong enough.  We just need to know the One who is.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.─2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NIV (emphasis mine)

Well, we don’t have to be strong enough.  We just have to know the One who is.  And when we do, He’ll move mountains to show us we are far stronger than we think.  Neither Hercules nor the Hulk have anything on the power of the Holy Spirit who guides us into His power to do immeasurably more than we think or imagine.

Joy isn’t some silly, slap happy notion.  God wants us to fight for our Joy because it is our strength.

This day is holy to the Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.─Nehemiah 8:10b NIV (emphasis mine)

I suppose, in part, that is why God has called me to notice and document something that brings me joy each and every day this year.  Noticing things big and small that bring me joy will strengthen me for the journey He has ahead.  I’ve already noticed a sunrise, my silly dog bringing me his toys (incessantly), a smile from my sister, a scented candle burning in my office, a song that comes on at the perfect time that ministers to my heart, and that’s just what I’ve seen so far.

What we look for is what we will see.  So, I’m on a mission to see Joy.  Even when it’s hard.  Especially when it’s hard.

Joy is our Witness

Joy is at the heart of God’s plan for human beings. The reason for this is worth pondering awhile: Joy is at the heart of God himself.  We will never understand the significance of joy in human life until we understand its importance to God.  I suspect that most of us seriously underestimate God’s capacity for joy.(1)

When I read this in John Ortberg’s The Life You’ve Always Wanted, Spiritual Disciplines For Ordinary People, it made me pause to consider God’s capacity for joy.  Have you ever thought about it?  I really hadn’t until that moment.

People who don’t know God often are afraid of Him. They gauge Him as this dour judge handing out sentences of misery and thou shalt nots.  If only they truly knew the desires of His heart, they would weep.  There is SO MUCH GOODNESS in God we can’t fathom. The world can’t contain it. Heck, if I only look at MY LIFE and see His goodness in it and how much joy He has brought my way, its abundance wouldn’t be contained.  And that doesn’t mean I’ve lived some sheltered, perfect life. What it does mean is that He has implanted great joy in my life, even in the midst of hard things.

Some people close to me think God is angry at them (or could be).  Again, if they only knew His capacity for joy (and love, mercy, grace, and every other good thing we can think of) they’d sit under a broom tree, throw dust on their heads, and grieve all the time they’d lost with the Lord, of knowing Him and His capacity to bring them great joy.

Well, what if we are the way for them to see that?  We are, don’t you know?  When people observe us accessing the joy of the Lord in a difficult season, it says something. It says something about our Lord.  People know different when they see it.  Don’t we want to look different?

I want someone to know Jesus because they knew me and saw His power pulsating through my life.  Because Joy in times of trial is supernatural.  Only God generates that.  Our light shines brightest in the dark.

As products of God’s creation, creatures made in his image, we are to reflect God’s fierce joy in life.  (1)

Joy is our Weapon

If you ask me, there’s a reason the enemy comes so hard after our Joy.  It’s related to the above.  He is fully aware how fragrant our Joy smells to the world, to those who don’t know it.  They may know happiness, but Joy, that’s something altogether different.

The enemy doesn’t want us to be Ambassadors for Christ, so he’ll present situations that feel unbearable sometimes.  But that’s a lie. With God all things are possible. We are never alone, and we are most visibly God’s WARRIORS when we wield Joy like a weapon that slashes through the darkness.

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.  But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”─John 16:33 NLT (emphasis mine)

God has already overcome the world.  It’s done.  The enemy has been defeated.  And when we remember that, it’s a much quicker journey to Joy.

He’ll try to steal it. Let’s not let him!

Instead, let’s use the Joy of the Lord as a weapon for kingdom advancement.  Let’s take back some territory from the darkness.  Let’s make the loss of precious ones like I just lost be the motivation to say, “No more.”  Let’s show the world our brilliant lights for Christ, because they NEED to know Him.  I can’t imagine trying to process this without His love, comfort and grace that points me to His joy even in the darkest moments.  Don’t we want the world to know that too?  We have been given a gift, the presence of God to meet us in our moments of need.  Let’s help others see why walking with Jesus is different, why it matters, and why they might want to consider it for themselves.

Faith is an individual journey for each of us.  We can be people pointing to reasons to pursue Christ, or we can be a reason not to.

I know God wants us to illuminate the world.  Let’s plug into His joy and make some advancements.  Let’s look a little different. For Him.

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”─John 8:12 NLT (emphasis mine)

Let’s follow Him and walk out of darkness. While we do, let’s help someone else into the light as well.

Joy is our Worship

Joy is worship.  When we feel otherwise, yet still choose to exhibit joy God sees our sacrifice.  Choosing joy doesn’t mean denying what happened or our associated feelings; we must deal with those with God’s help. It is healthy to process our wounds with the Lord.  But while we are dealing with those feelings and allowing the Lord to point us to the hope, healing, & abundance of life He has for us, He asks us to do so with Joy.  In that, He sees our sacrifice.  It’s an offering precious and beautiful unto Him.

One of the most beautiful ways to exhibit joy is through a worship song.  The psalmist points us to just that point.

Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous;

            it is fitting for the upright to praise him.

Praise the LORD with the harp;

            make music with the ten-stringed lyre.

Sing to him a new song;

            play skillfully, and shout for joy.─Psalm 33:1-3 NIV (emphasis mine)

 

Sometimes when I’m at a loss for what to do, I sing. I surrender to the song and let God show me His sweetness.  It never fails that He plays the perfect soundtrack to HELP ME play skillfully and shout for joy.  The soundtrack He has played over the last several days has too many songs to note, but they all pointed me to Him, to healing, to hope, all while acknowledging my humanness and the grief such a loss of life can hit us with.

Sometimes we just need to sing in faith. He does the rest.  Praise Jesus!

Here’s a song God had on my playlist these last few days. I Raise A Hallelujah by Bethel Music, Jonathon & Melissa Helser.

Maybe you need to hear it too.  And don’t forget to “sing a little louder”; I’d say that counts as shouting for joy.

Joy is our Salvation

What saved me from utter despair about the tragedy of the precious one’s loss of life is this:  I know she was saved.  I went back and watched her baptism video.  Here’s a transcript.

This precious one was asked, Do you love Jesus with all your heart?

Precious one shook her head affirmatively, Yes

This precious one was asked, Do you accept Jesus as the leader of your life, your Lord?

Precious one nodded again, Yes!

This precious one was asked, Do you accept Jesus as the Savior, your Savior?

Precious one shook her head so that her ponytail bobbed up and down in agreement, Yes!

 And then it was proclaimed, We baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as she was dipped into the baptismal and was brought up a Child of God with full access to His kingdom inheritance.

 There was a great group of witnesses who broke out in jubilant celebration here on earth and in heaven that day.  And I know she was greeted at the gates of heaven by more celebration once she went on to be with the Lord just a few days ago.

As I watched her baptism video and paused it at the moment she first came up out of the water, I am reminded of what Joy looks like.  It’s written all over her face!  It’s beautiful!

It gives me great comfort to know that she is not dead; this is not good-bye. I know how much she loved Jesus. I heard her heart in that many times. God has reassured me she is snuggled safely in His arms where she has no more tears, no more sorrows. She is finally at peace.

Thank you for that gift, Lord. It gives me the greatest Joy of all to know she was saved and that she gets to spend all of eternity with You!

Until I see you again, precious one, celebrate with Joy your time with Jesus.  We’ll have a party in heaven together with all the other saints who love and miss you already!

So, how DO I see 2020?

This morning, God gifted me with a beautiful sunrise. I looked and saw glorious hues of pink and purple on the horizon.

 

 

This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. ─Psalm 118:24

 

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Signature Image: Tracy Stella

1“The Life You’ve Always Wanted: Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People.” The Life You’ve Always Wanted: Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People, by John Ortberg et al., Zondervan, 2015, pp. 61–63.