finding joy
Where is Jesus in the Room?
“The greatest blessing is nearness to Me—abundant Joy and Peace in My Presence.” – Jesus Calling The late February sky scowled while the wind turned the world sideways. The radio played in the background. Kenny Chesney wanted to know how forever feels, while I just wanted to know how the next hour was going to turn out. After five miscarriages and other fertility-related struggles, I just wanted to meet my baby boy, and I was so close that I was sure everything was going to fall apart. You know the feeling. Suspicious of Joy You know what it’s like for the pain of “what is” to feel more real than the celebration of what is possible with God. You understand what it’s like to take a blow that makes it more difficult to trust that hope is a good idea. I didn’t want to be suspicious of jo...
Finding Joy Again After Loss
Once again, my heart was shattered into a million pieces. I barely noticed the gorgeous weather as I sat alone on our front porch steps, tears streaming down my face. My husband was still at work, but I needed to step away from our three young children as I wept over the devastating phone call I had just received. “Mrs. Mullett, the pathology report came back. The tumor we removed from your son is cancerous. We’re sending this on to his transplant team, and you will hear back from them on next steps.” I felt physically ill as I thought about how to break the news to our six-year-old cancer survivor. Austin had just completed one year of aggressive chemotherapy and was just beginning to enjoy life again, despite the lingering effects of his toxic medications. Compounded Loss I r...
Finding Joy When Your Heart Hurts
“You can find joy in the midst of brokenness. One of the hardest times to be joyful is when you’re dealing with multiple problems—seeking solutions but finding none—and then several new difficulties beset you. The way to encounter joy in adversity is to encounter Me. You can pray,‘Jesus, help me find You in the midst of this mess!’ ” —Jesus Today, Day 67 “You aren’t listening to me. I’ve had enough. Get out of my house!” Harsh, isn’t it? Brokenness reveals itself in so many ways. I recently felt very broken over a verbal misunderstanding. I knew that the other party could only see her way and felt that I was completely wrong. Exasperation grew when she failed to take time to listen to me, and I lost my temper for the first time in a long time. As a Christian, I felt extremely discouraged. ...
