There is one piece of jewelry I have worn almost every day of my cancer journey. It is a silver bracelet with two words engraved on it – Choose Joy. Joy had always been my word, my mantra so to speak. I saw myself as a happy, upbeat woman. But over the last seven months, I have acknowledged what I already knew – that joy and happiness are not synonymous. Happiness is experiential, dependent upon circumstance. Joy is the assurance felt when we surrender to the control of God - when we truly understand that He leads us in the paths of righteousness, that He provides green pastures and still waters. And that He walks with us in the shadows of darkness.
Joy can exist alongside unhappiness. Sadness catches us by surprise and can upset the tempo of our life. We have no choice but to acknowledge it. King David cried out at the death of his rebellious son Absalom “Would God I had died instead of you!” And yet this same psalmist wrote, “I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices.” The Apostle Paul reminds us in his letter to the church at Philippi that our joy is based on the knowledge of the nearness of the Lord. This understanding gives us access to the peace of God – the peace that surpasses all human understanding, bringing a wholeness that can only come because Christ is the center of our lives.
And so, let us make a joyful noise to the Lord. May our prayers and our songs ring with the realization that God leads, God loves, and God is near. There is no substitute for joy, no panacea to take its place. It is a life choice.
Lord, make my life Your temple. Let my every prayer be filled with praise and thanksgiving. Help me understand that You are God and I am Yours. And, understanding this, I choose joy.
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