Joy
I’ve been reading the book of James with a few people and going in even deeper with scripture. Verse 2 says, “Dear brothers and sisters when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.”
Someone in the group had asked the question, “How are we supposed to be happy when something bad happens to us?”
I sat there for a minute because I’ve struggled sometimes to see the good in the bad. I choose to occasionally sit in my feelings and dwell on the negative more than the positive. After giving myself a minute to process, my answer was this. We have been given a choice to allow our feelings and situation to overtake us completely or see the problem from a different perspective. It’s not to say you can’t be sad, mad, doubtful, worried, or scared but more so saying not to let it control you to the point where it’s affecting you.
As most of you know, it’s been a journey of hills and valleys for me as I continue to try and get into a Nursing program. I admit that it hasn’t been easy, and I’ve allowed the failure to consume me to the point where I didn’t feel like I had a purpose, and everything I had done to this point was meaningless. Out of this situation, I always was given a choice to remember the negative or focus on all the things I could do to better myself and my chances of making it elsewhere. Through a season of waiting, I had the opportunity to deepen my relationship with God. I began to learn more about who God was and the promises he had for me through reading scripture. If things had worked out differently for me at the time…I don’t think I would have had the opportunity God gave me.
It’s crazy to think that because of that moment, I am where I am today. I can wholeheartedly say that I’m learning to choose joy, even though sometimes it’s hard to see how I can be joyful. A few weeks ago, I spoke to my great-grandma, and she’s been in a lot of pain because of her arthritis. The mind-blowing part is she continues to laugh and always has a smile on her face regardless of how she feels. She thanks God every day for continuing to have her here on earth and says that if he still wants her here, then she’s going to continue living her life and choosing to be joyful. I was blown away by her response, but it’s true.
Let us choose to see things positively and choose joy as we walk through those valleys. God promises us victory, and victory is what we will receive if we allow ourselves to grow and receive the joy that God has for us in every situation.