Choose Joy

The time is 6:20, and I’m woken up by the sound of a beeping alarm in the house. My 90 year old “Mema” spent the night because she sleeps better when she’s in a house with people. So what set the alarm off? She went to check to see who’s car was in the garage, and didn’t realize we had the alarm set. As you can imagine, a loud beeping noise isn’t the most enjoyable way to wake up, but nonetheless, that’s what woke me up. My mom quickly shut it off, but we were all awake by that point.

Now I don’t know about you, but waking up at 6:20 on a Saturday morning isn’t ideal for me, or my mom. We could have easily slept until 8:30 or 9, enjoying a restful morning. But, with a 90 year old dementia ridden woman in the house, sleep is scarce. This morning, it would’ve been so easy to choose bitterness, with grumpy faces and drowsy eyes. Instead, we chose joy.

We searched for the better part of 20 min. for her false teeth, got her changed back into her house dress, and the three of us happily hopped in my silver, Hyundai SUV. We stopped at Sonic and got her a junior breakfast burrito, and drove her back home. The whole time, laughing and enjoying the moments we had with her. We chose joy.

“The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭10:28‬ ‭ESV‬‬

It’s so easy to get bogged down by the circumstances around us, or the negativity we see and hear at every turn. This world is full of expectations for what WE want or need, and when those expectations are interrupted or unmet, we are taught to be angry, bitter, or disappointed. Those are natural human responses to things not going our way. Choosing or finding joy in those moments is what sets us apart.

Satan works hard to steal the joy we have in God, and it should be our goal every day to not allow him to do that. In John 10:10, Jesus says this:

“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”

This morning, we faced many obstacles. One of which was attempting to wash some lanyards off in the sink. Nothing would get them clean, until we thought to use an Oxyclean pouch. The joy and laughter we found through making washing machine motions with our hands in the soapy water was worth the effort it took to clean them. It’s the little moments that make up for the big struggles we have in this life.

This world is ruled by our enemy, and he brings pain, strife, and suffering into our lives. His sole purpose is to keep us from our Father. It is so easy to get pulled into the negativity around us, but finding joy takes courage and strength. What better way to fight the battle for joy than with God though.

“Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭13:11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

So as you face the week ahead, my hope is that you choose joy. Find it in every situation, and be determined that God will help you find joy in all things.

“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