Consider it Pure Joy Even if it Hurts

It’s the very first day of moving to Austin. My movers show up – not with the 26-foot truck I was promised, but a 17-foot truck. They tell me – “No problem. There will be plenty of room.” NOT! They forgot the wardrobe boxes which required a larger truck. As it turns out, they squash all my clothes into manmade boxes. And they must leave the ramp out so it will hold one of the boxes and an outdoor, double rocker. Argh!

I get to my new location. Keys are given to me, but I cannot find where I put them. I ask the Manager if he accidentally kept them. He hadn’t. He makes me new keys and a new fob for the door. That night as I slip out of my jeans, a clank hits the floor. Yes, it is my new keys and fob. Great first impression, Donna! Argh!

Same day. The technician installs my Wifi and TV connections. Same technician doesn’t know how to operate the TV remote. He tells me to just go online and I can teach myself. Argh!

I am sucking it up while trying to be my best self with best attitude, and I hear St. Paul’s words in James 1:2-3: “Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” Argh!

There’s no part of me that wants challenges, inconveniences, sorrow, or pain. That is NOT the part of my story I want to talk about. But the longer I walk with God, the more I see why His ways are so much better than mine. Picking and choosing what gets to be part of my story would keep me from the ultimate good God has in mind for me.

I know it seems hard to fathom our difficult circumstances being used by God for our good, but I assure you, based on personal experiences, God has proved it to me many times over. I must warn you it might not feel good at first glance. I confess I like “Count it all joy” until I don’t. These words are easy to pull out when my worst issue is the drive-thru leaving out something from my order. Argh! But, what about those other things we walk through – the ones that aren’t here today and gone tomorrow? The ones that hurt too long. Or feel devastatingly permanent?

To slap some “we should be joyful about this” on top of the hard things feels cruel. That’s why I’m glad “Count it all joy” doesn’t say “FEEL the joy” but instead, “consider where some glimpses of joy might be even during all the hurt. We can find joy in the middle of the pain if we look for it. We can tend to all that still needs to be healed and at the same time laugh, plan for great things ahead, and declare this is a glorious day. It’s living out whatever life brings us as a gift, even if it looks nothing like we thought it would. Our sorrows and frustrations tenderize our hearts. Our celebrations tend to our heart’s need to get back up and go on. Let’s take a deep breath and push through the pain and celebrate the birth of the “baby”, rather the birth of God working in our lives for the good things He had in mind for us all along. Oh, joy! Joy! Joy!

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28