Finding joy, in a season that feels like it may have gone missing

“I’ve got the joy joy joy joy down in my heart!”

I’ll bet that many of you remember singing that sweet little song to our kiddos as they were growing up, and we really meant it, but what do we do when the joy that lives in our hearts isn’t taking up residence in our heads, and leaves us wondering if it’s even there at all?

The world is in the middle of all kinds of changing and its shift has brought along with it, all manner of emotions. Big emotions. Big divides. And, it seems that many people  in each of the conversations have BIG opinions as well as a sense that their position of whatever issue at hand, is absolutely right. 

The only opinion. 

And I don’t know about you, but over the last few months the joy that lives, “down in my heart”, has not made its appearance, ‘up in my head’ quite as easily. I’ve had to work a little harder to partake in its presence.

But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t live there. Because our experiences of life, don’t get to change the narrative that is still true. There is a God who sees us. His name is Jesus and He knows what heartache, loss, pain, betrayal and misuse of humanity is like first-hand. Our God came down. Our God did not stay in the heavenlies, looking down on our plight——no! He entered in and made a way for us to face our fears, our pain, our sorrows and our victories with a joy unspeakable! He not only told us what was available to us—-how we can think differently, act differently, live differently—-but He gave us His very self. 

 Presence. 

Communion.

And, He too experienced suffering, sadness, injustice and all manner of inhumane behavior, yet kept He kept his eyes fixed on the goal. The mission to save His people for himself. But thank God, Himself, that it didn’t stop at our salvation—-it carried into equipping us for life here on planet earth. And no matter how out of control things appear to be, there is a created order that is at work. Our God is holding all things together and is working all things together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose. (Colossians 1:17 and Romans 8:28)

So how does this all work? How do we experience joy in the middle of chaos or loss or failure or disappointment? Well, its simple and complex all at the same time because we are humans, created in the image of a spectacular God who would not settle for rules alone, but made a way for relationship. And relationship is messy, right?

Can I get an amen???

I had prepared a series on joy for The Spacious Place podcast months ago and really wrestled with whether or not to go ahead with the predetermined launch date because of all that was happening in our world. But it felt to me like there was no better time to talk about joy than when in the midst of hard things. That’s when we need it most, right? So we proceeded. The conversation alone, for those 3 episodes in June, with my niece Nicole, brought me so much joy! For me to watch this beautiful human that I love, share the places of her life that have been so richly blessed by God, with you. As well as the places that she fights for joy, in the middle of hard things, was delightful to me. 

You know why?

 Because I love her. I love the chunky little toddler that had enough hair for an entire family, that sassy little teenager who had a constant smile on her face and the beautiful woman with a baby cooking in her belly.

 I love Nicole. 

I love her tenacity in her parenting and her marriage. Her fight for keeping good, healthy boundaries around all the moving parts of her life. I love her honesty about having wanted to give up when it got hard at times. And her cute little scrunchy nose smile that has lived on her face for her entire life. 

You see, the conversation alone was joy-filled because it was two people who love each other. Two women who are making our way through life, even as it throws us curve balls, while hanging to Jesus and those He’s given us, simultaneously. 

And that’s our hope when we are surrounded with chaos and loss, fear and anxiety.

It can be as simple as our weary hands holding onto each other while we throw our heads back and look up. Look up to the One who sees us, loves us and gives us everything we need to make it. But not only to survive, you see, His Spirit is bigger than our survival alone. He came so that we might have life, and have it abundantly! (John 10:10) His desire for us is abundance. 

Fullness of life. 

And, He is our Source of it. 

Our invitation is not a ‘pie in the sky’ way of thinking, but an honest gaze at our Father who loves us and a conversation with Him that is full of all the things that we are wrestling with. I don’t know about you, but when any of my kids entrust themselves to me with their hard places, I am overwhelmed with the privilege of entering into it with them. But my experience, as a parent, is only a shadow of what God is like. He does it perfectly. He welcomes, without condemnation and comforts us right in the middle of it all. He listens and leads us to the Highway of Hope. 

I long to be more like him. My desire is to be so full of the fruit of the Spirit that the angst of others sparks compassion and longing in me to remain present. Be the kind of wife and parent and friend and neighbor who is ‘with’.  

John 1:1 says, ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.’ And as you continue down that chapter, in verse 14 it says ‘And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.’

Jesus is the Word. So as we open up our Bibles are partake of the word, we are actually, in some supernatural mystery, meeting with Jesus, the God of the universe, Himself. 

WHOA!!! 

That stops me in my tracks every single time. He has made Himself available to us. Willing to meet with us, whenever we would choose to. Made himself available and accessible all at the same time! And not only that, but He waits, with longing, for us to come. And when we do, he enjoys us. He delights in our presence as we delight in His.

So, when it feels like life will never feel normal again and all we want is normal, maybe our desire is too small. What if all of this un-rest and unknown is inviting us to deeper places with God and with each other. Let’s be people who, choose to be present with God and one another. At the risk of denying the need to be “right”, let’s press into what it means to be human and love one another well as we lean into the One who designed love and birthed us out of it.

The invitation is to come. Will you grab His hand today and let him lead you to joy?

***Below is a resource with some ‘joy’ Scriptures that will hopefully be helpful for you when you find yourself in need of a reminder. 

Hope you en-JOY it! (see what I did there:)