Dear day 8,
Let me count the ways you have tested me!!
Sometimes a beautiful day is the one where we really have to dig deep, look past the difficulties and choose joy. This was that kind of beautiful day! It was a day of long travels, crazy traffic, discouraging news and tested patience. The beauty in today is that I survived! (With the help of McAlister’s tea and some yummy chocolate chip cookies)
Trying days push us for sure and they test us to see if we can find beauty in the hard things. To try and just look around the hard things and find beauty is perfectly fine, but the older I get the more I tend to want to stand with my hands on my hips, stare the hard circumstances right in the face and yell…
“I see you hard thing!! I know you want to take me down – but I’m going to choose to be joyful and thankful in all things! So, guess what hard thing…that means I’m thankful for you. Now, put em’ up…let’s duke it out!!”
I’m not going to tell you that I don’t prefer seasons where everything is smooth sailing and the trials are few. I love those seasons, they’re my favorite. But difficult seasons sharpen us, they make us stop and think – we have to pray more, give thanks more, be a little more intentional and allow our faith to stretch and grow.
Having joy on good days is pretty easy but finding and choosing joy on hard days, well, that’s a real trick. I think perspective has a lot to do with it and keeping our eyes set firmly on the one who orchestrates our days. When we trust that we serve a good and loving God then we can rest in the knowledge that what comes our way must serve a purpose. We rest in the assurance that all things will work together for good.
So – while I could choose to actually count the ways day 8 tested me, I think I’ll take a pass on that. I think I’ll choose instead to be joyful in the time spent with my daughter, the visit with my friend, the students who fill my classroom and that another safe journey is complete.
What challenge are you walking through that is testing your patience? How can you choose joy right in the middle and be thankful for the hard things?
It’s a beautiful day when we can count it ALL joy!
(and eat cookies…lots and lots of cookies.)
joyinyourjourney.net 