I choose JOY. What about you?

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I woke up this morning to that old familiar children’s song, “I’ve got the JOY, JOY, JOY, JOY down in my heart”? Do you remember it? If you were raised in church as a child or went to Vacation Bible School, then you probably do. This song makes me so happy, especially if I’m feeling down.

If you’ve been following for a while, you know that most days, I wake up and say, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” This is my mama’s favorite verse. In fact, when I was still living in her household, most mornings I woke up to that verse. Usually I would hear the words before I ever opened my eyes. It would be my sweet mama standing over me, echoing that familiar verse.

Some days, I didn’t want to hear it. Especially if I had been out late the night before. That repetition seeped into my soul so that years later, I would continue to hear those words even before I wake. But there are still some days that I don’t really want to hear it. These are the days I must choose JOY.

Scripture tells us “Always be joyful. ¹⁷Never stop praying. ¹⁸Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”

I’ve got a lot to be joyful. Many of you know I wrote a blog for Jesus Calling. It went live yesterday. This is such a big deal for me. But, I really had nothing to do with it. God did it! And I am incredibly thankful.

Back in January of this year, I spoke at a women’s retreat. This was before my book, The Me Disease, was released. I gave a talk about my own personal story which happens to include a lot of new beginnings for me. I was definitely in the right place at the right time. Because of that talk, I was asked to write a blog for Jesus Calling entitled New Beginnings.

I love writing my blog and rarely have any issues putting something out there. But with my submission date drawing near, I found it difficult to write anything at all. Each week, God seemed to inspire and equip me with words, thoughts and ideas for my own blog. But when it came time to write this one, I was totally stumped. There was no joy, just frustration and anxiety.

I had to reset, refocus and remind myself that God brought this opportunity to me. I had to choose to be joyful for it.

I know when things are going right in your life, it is easy to be joyful. But when life gets hard, what then?

I turned to the Word. In my situation, scripture told me exactly what I needed to do; “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

I needed help and I needed it fast! So, I prayed and I thanked God. Do you know what happened? That peace that surpasses all understanding fell down on me and I was able to write the blog for Jesus Calling. Thanks be to God!

We have had some really big God moments. God placed a path before us, and we chose to walk it. I show you the grand things that God is doing. I pray that you see it as God and not me. But in the in-between moments of God’s greatness, I am still met with so many unknowns. I am still asking the same questions, “Where are we going?” and “When will we get there?”

What I am learning is that even in the unknown, I am to be thankful and trust God. To be joyful and not anxious. And above all else, to glorify God in all that I do.

It’s hard sometimes and easy other times. It’s exciting and terrifying all at the same time. But, I am learning to choose joy and in choosing joy, somehow, mysteriously, I choose God.

Let us pray,

Let all I do, in word and deed, glorify you, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. In Jesus Name, Amen. -M