It has been over a year since our son, Liam, was diagnosed with a very rare genetic disorder. I feel that we have accepted his diagnosis and are learning to move on. We have a workable therapy schedule. We have strong support systems, and our life is moving forward in a positive way. My heart has been feeling less weighed down by the thought of life with a child who has special needs and more excited about the way that God is using this in our lives. I am able to enjoy life with Liam every day. Or that is what I thought I was feeling . . . Then someone close to me told me that she feels I have been in a hurry, grumpy, and seeming upset every time she has seen me in the past year. Upon hearing that I thought it was time for a bit of self-reflection. Am I always in a hurry? OH, YES! Am I often grumpy or upset? Only when I am in a hurry! In realizing that while I am trying to run our family's daily life I am operating on a short fuse quite often, I was very disappointed in myself. I have been entrusted with God's precious little ones, and instead of showing them my daily joy in God's great grace and blessings, I am showing them how to rush through life.
What is your attitude every day? I don't mean your attitude when you have the chance to talk about your special child and the amazing things that having him/her has done in your life. I mean, in the hustle and bustle of the moment, what is in your heart and on your lips? Praise to the Maker of your child? Thanks to God for all His great gifts? Well, if you are like me and your answer is "Not always . . ." listen to the great encouragement our Lord has for us in His Word.
Having our TRUE goal in mind at all times of the day helps us to find joy in the moments. Paul says in his farewell to the Ephesian elders, "I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." These could be our words! As Christians, our #1 goal in life is to testify to the gospel of God's grace. Everything else comes later . . . is less important. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 says, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” This goal puts into perspective the crazy moments, zany happenings, and downright exhausting hours. These things may feel significant, but in the big picture they aren’t. What reassurance for us when our many tasks of the moment go WRONG! Our eyes can be fixed on the real task at hand, the eternal one.
In the story of Mary and Martha, Mary diligently listens to her Savior, while Martha bustles around making sure that her home and her meal are worthy of such an esteemed guest. In Luke 10:41,42, Jesus says, "You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needful. Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her." I think that we all know this, but we have to - every day, every minute, every second - remind ourselves. We forget easily. There are school events, church obligations, lessons, therapies, doctor appointments, friends we want to see. The list goes on and on. It is a struggle to get everyone to the places they need to be at the times that they need to be there. The weather doesn't cooperate. The garage door sticks. The baby fills his diaper just as we finally get out the door. The four-year-old won't walk to the car but insists on trudging through the snow. And once again we are late. Now we are grumpy and snappish. We are sweating (although it is freezing), exhausted, and ready to give up. And it is only 8 a.m.! We know that these things are fluff! Unimportant. Only one thing is important: our #1 goal. So how do we keep our focus on that goal? How do we find joy in these less-than-joyful moments?
The Lord gives us EVERY reason to be joyful in ANY and EVERY circumstance. After a long list of complaints, the writer of Lamentations says, “I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” God gives us daily evidence of this love. Every blessing that we have is evidence: our children, their smiles, our homes, friends, families, churches . . . the list of blessings is different for each of us. For each of us that list is way too long to read off in an hour’s time. The greatest evidence is that He sent His own son to be our Savior. What an amazing gift; what amazing love! We are forgiven . . . for every grumpy moment, for every rushed prayer, for every time we did not appreciate our blessings, and for every sin we cannot remember. This forgiveness came through God’s own dear son and his death on the cross. Through his death and resurrection our sins were washed away – no longer counted against us.
When we keep our hearts FULL to the brim with our Lord and His word, we will have that TRUE joy. The more that we are in God’s Word, the more we will see our focus shifting, even in these difficult moments. God wants us to know Him and has given us His Word so that we can do just that. He also wants to hear our thoughts, our fears, and our requests through prayer. God talks to us in his Word and welcomes us to talk to him as dear children talking to their dear Father. Without God there can be NO true or lasting joy . . . none. He is the source! All TRUE and lasting joy comes from Him! The more that we are saturated in his Word, the more that we are talking to Him in prayer, the more joyful our moments will be. Let’s be IN His Word and focused in our days ahead so that we might feel true joy . . . in our days, hours, minutes, and seconds. Joy in the Risen Christ. Joy that cannot be taken away. Joy that permeates difficult moments and trying times. True joy, lasting joy, joy that is from THE SOURCE!
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