Joy – Page 11 – The Will to Wake Up

To Be Alive

A reflection on truly living in 2023.

Have you ever stopped in your tracks and wondered, “I’m breathing, but am I truly living right now?”

In a culture swept up in the “latest things” and keeping up with everybody else, it’s easy to be caught in this whirlwind of panic and restlessness. But when we don’t pause to enjoy life where we’re at–a stage that is precious and unique all on its own, despite the difficulties–we will never fully experience the gift of life itself.

As we head into 2023, I’m left with more questions than answers. Perhaps pondering these questions with me will lead you on a path towards healing, intentional living, and hope for the future.

How are you experiencing peace (or a lack of peace) in this present season?
What changes could you make to feel less drained?
What activities or experiences leave you feeling fulfilled and joyful?
Are you currently making the time to do those things on a regular basis?
How is God calling you to act in this season?

In reference to the final question, I don’t just mean the basic: God wants me to follow His laws and live righteously. Rather, what specific things can you do this year to be faithful to God and pursue His calling on your life?

No matter what gets accomplished and where you are on the journey, you are loved and you are here for an important reason. I hope this new year fills you with hope, healing, and anticipation for greater things to come.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
2 Corinthians 5:17

Witnessing God’s Faithfulness in 2022

How has God shown up in your life in 2022?

It’s hard to believe that in a matter of days, it will be a whole new year!

My word of the year for 2022 was faithfulness.

To be honest, I frequently forgot it was my word until I heard someone use it or a particular moment stuck out to me as evidence of “faithfulness”. But reflecting on this past year, I can truly see how God used faithfulness as a reminder of His steadfast love during a trying year.

2022 was a year with unique challenges. After making a difficult decision that changed many of my plans going forward, I struggled with handling my emotions in a healthy way. Instead of working through them, I bottled them up inside until they left me feeling empty and hopeless.

But God used this experience to help me learn to trust others, have the courage to receive godly counsel, and respect myself enough to set healthy boundaries. Most of all, God showed me that emotions, even negative ones, don’t have to be a weakness. God can use them to reveal Himself to us.

I went through several seasons in 2022 wondering when I’d finally hear from God again. But every time I remembered to ask God for an opportunity to witness His presence in my life, He showed up. Perhaps not in tangible ways or how I would’ve expected, but always giving me a sense of hope, a glimpse of His grace, or a sign that He’s still with me.

Through it all, God remains faithful.

As I have grown (and will hopefully continue growing) in understanding God’s faithfulness, God has given me opportunities to encourage others through faithfulness, whether it meant sticking with a difficult job, reaching out to friends going through hard times, or simply making time to be with Him each day.

You may have your own list of ways you’ve endured through 2022. Perhaps these actions seem small, but they hold eternal value.

Did you have a word for 2022? Reflect on this past year and how you’ve seen God work through the hardships and the joys.

God will strengthen your character through every season, drawing you closer to Him. No matter what, He never gives up on us. I hope that the rest of 2022 brings you peace, hope, and excitement for all that lies ahead.

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Romans 12:9-12

A Christmas Reflection

Merry Christmas!

This Christmas, whether you are…

Receiving the rewards of patient waiting, like Zechariah and Elizabeth.

Facing financial difficulty or societal rejection, like the shepherds.

Eager to share your gifts with the world, like the magi.

Unsure what the future will hold after your plans change, like Mary.

Trying to be supportive and encouraging, even at great costs to your reputation or personal ambitions, like Joseph.

Feeling overwhelmed by expectations or commitments to the point where you can’t give any more, like the inn keepers.

Or expressing your joy as you live into the purposes and promises of God, like the angels.

I hope that you feel part of the Christmas story this year. God didn’t have to create us or give us important work to do, yet He chooses us because of His love for us. Let us rejoice in these promises today, and every day. No matter what today looks like for you, you are loved, seen, and treasured. Merry Christmas ❤

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Luke 2:15-20

Christmas Challenge

Read through Luke 1-2 and write down three things about the Christmas story that resonate with you this year. Did you notice anything different? How can this story, whether familiar or not, bring you peace and hope this Christmas?

The Gift that Matters

What does sacrifice mean to you?

Sacrifice is often undermined in our self-focused, overly ambitious society. Even when we give, we expect to receive back. While it is certainly important to prioritize keeping healthy boundaries, cultivating mutual relationships, and taking care of your wellbeing, we are also called to experience self-sacrificing ministry.

Towards the conclusion of Jesus’ earthly ministry, He brought the disciples to the temple full of religious leaders who made a point of praying loudly and pointing out others’ flaws rather than serving from the heart. Jesus recognized the faithful gift of a poor widow who, while only donating a couple coins, was giving all she had to live on because of her love for God.

I’ve read this story several times, but what stood out to me today was the fact that we don’t hear of how her needs were met afterwards. Jesus doesn’t hand her a huge bag of coins in compensation. She doesn’t seem to have a plan of how to pay her bills. We stay in the moment: what matters is the gift she’s giving now.

Before moving forward, I want to point out that this sacrifice of hers doesn’t come at the expense of her own value. Often, we think we have to belittle ourselves or be put in harmful situations in order to fully sacrifice. Or that we need to overcommit or meet every single need before we’re true followers of Christ.

Yet those sacrifices still draw the attention to us. When we sacrifice for the sake of self-pity or self-importance, we really aren’t sacrificing anything at all.

Notice that this woman was visiting the temple, a place of worship, to praise God and be filled with His gifts. Before she could give of herself, she first had to receive from God.

Jesus’ reaction shows that while she was honored, her sacrifice wasn’t undone. She may not have eaten dinner that night. Perhaps she was put in the vulnerable situation of needing to ask others for assistance thanks to that gift.

What Jesus reveals is that this sacrifice was worth it. The love and trust this woman placed in God through this action was greater than any earthly need or reward.

Today, ask yourself what kind of sacrifice you can give to Jesus this Christmas. Perhaps it’s setting aside your pride and serving others with a humble heart. Maybe it’s stepping out in faith and giving more than you planned for the sake of others. However you feel called, allow Jesus’ love for you to fill all the voids in your life.

As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
Luke 21:1-4

Unapologetically Authentic in an Uptight Society

Encouragement to be your authentic self in a critical world.

We don’t often realize what truly inspires us.

“Aren’t you scared?” Over and over that question lingers on my tongue, haunting my thoughts, tainting my words.

I thought that when my friend joyfully danced in a foreign country on the side of the river where anybody could see her.

I wondered that when another friend shared her differing values on social media.

I questioned that when I saw someone befriend a lonely individual who wasn’t accepted by everyone else.

I believe that every time I edit a Bible verse out of a public message, nod and smile when people assume I’m agreeing with them, and gloss over details about myself in order to appear as “normal” as possible.

Living bravely enough to be genuine to yourself may seem like the backwards approach to getting away with justifying your choices and flaws and hypocritical gestures as simply “part of your faith or personality”.

But being courageous and being critical are two very different things.

Criticizing others for the sake of feeling right is the opposite of living into who we are meant to be. Consider, for a moment, that you are wrong.

How hard is it to admit someone else might be right? That someone else will always be more right than you–God. The Creator of all, who is the only Knower of all. Who will always know more than you. And me. And all of us. (Thankfully)

Being courageous means standing up for the truth. Being willing to risk your reputation, your people-pleasing abilities, and everything else for the sake of being authentic.

At first, authenticity might seem antiquated. It’s just so easy to conform. To give up a dream, change the script, not recognize yourself in the mirror because you don’t like what you see first thing in the morning.

What we are lacking most in the world is authenticity. We can’t trust anyone anymore because we are so afraid of being cancelled or exposed or mocked. We live into the question, “Are you afraid?”. And if you aren’t, shouldn’t you be?

But God doesn’t want us to live in fear. He wants us to be so confident in who He made us to be–loving, compassionate, bold, honest, and curious–that we aren’t afraid to show others who we really are.

Yes, you might have strange hobbies or odd friends. Yes, you might not hold the same set of values or opinions as your neighbors. Yes, you might be laughed at, uninvited, or ridiculed for the beautiful pieces that make you you.

And, you will have parts of you that need to be transformed over time. The rough edges smoothed out until you become a new person. But not a person copied and pasted from the latest top celebrity or even humanitarian. The person God created you to be.

When you do everything with a heart for God, when you are never trying to hurt others but always trying to help them grow, you will be doing the right thing.

It isn’t about having the right set of beliefs about what people should or shouldn’t do. It isn’t about knowing all the answers or never having a doubt.

It’s about being so full of gratitude for the gift of life God gave you that you can celebrate by embracing your unique characteristics and skills in a way that serves the world.

Isn’t it remarkable that we have this opportunity?

At first, when I watched my friends make these risky decisions, I experienced second-hand embarrassment. The world tells us to be ashamed of ourselves. The world beats us down to the ground until we don’t know how to dance or speak for ourselves or notice the overlooked.

But then, something sparked in me. Inspiration, you could say. And to me, that’s the best gift (after salvation itself) that God grants us.

Maybe it isn’t too late to be myself after all. And if it isn’t too late for me, then it certainly isn’t too late for you.

So go out there and live unapologetically authentically. The world needs the real you. ❤

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15

Single All the Way

Encouragement for those feeling lonely this holiday season.

Single at Christmas? Fear not, with a little mistletoe and a cup of cheer, you will soon find yourself swept into the arms of a charming stranger, ready to never spend another Christmas alone.

That’s what all the holiday movies assure us, anyway. But life tends to prove otherwise.

While it may seem silly or even humiliating, it’s completely natural to feel particularly lonely at Christmas, even if you are normally secure in your singleness. The media screams at us that the holidays are meant for togetherness, so where’s your partner already?

Perhaps the problem is that this message isn’t completely false. The birth of Jesus brought people together from around the world, each experiencing and celebrating His arrival in their own way.

But when we really think about that faithful night, the glitter and glitz falls away. The story begins with a man and his wife who were “behind” those in their generation by not being parents. Then we find a young couple who were faced with sudden difficulties, yet persevered through their trust in God. We meet stinky shepherds, outcasts in society, elevated to the first proclaimers of the good news. Later on, we are inspired by the wise men, who were likely thought of as eccentric rather than brilliant.

Maybe our cast would’ve been the ones without dates to gatherings, the uninvited guests, the ones “still” without kids to celebrate Christmas with, or the socially awkward relatives. Maybe they would’ve grown up as the wallflowers, the last picked on the team, or the nerds. Maybe they didn’t feel like their belonged either.

Despite how you might feel, whether there’s an empty place beside you at the table or in your heart, you are not a failure for not being in a romantic relationship, no matter your age or position or faith.

Most of all, being single doesn’t mean you are alone this holiday season.

God knows exactly who you need and He will guarantee that you connect with those people. Perhaps you are meant to be married someday, and if so, God has that person picked out for you and wants you to use this time to prepare your heart for the next stage of your life. Or maybe you will be content with independent living and God will surround you with friends and family who will love you.

Either way is okay. You are not worth any less no matter how your life plays out.

This Christmas, instead of feeling sorry for yourself over your relationship status, consider it one of those “blessings amidst pain” moments. We may be able to experience the Christmas story in a whole new light when we realize what we have in common with God’s unlikely chosen. ❤

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

Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them.
1 Corinthians 7:17

Fully Known, Fully Loved

Hope for when faith feels overwhelming.

Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.
John 21:25

This verse used to frustrate me. Just when I thought the Bible included everything we needed to know about Jesus, it turns out so much happened that not even the whole world has room for it all!

As followers of Jesus, we long to know Him. That’s the true stem of all the debates, divisions, and doubts in the church. Ultimately, we want to be the one who knows Jesus the most and who understands His teaching the best, so that we’re sure of His love.

But clearly, that’s not how Jesus works.

And in that case, it can feel overwhelming trying to understand Jesus when we know we only have a portion of knowledge about Him.

Have you ever read a book with such deep characters, compelling plotlines, and intertwined with an overwhelming passion that you suddenly wanted to know the author? Or maybe you felt like you knew the author simply through reading their book.

The Bible is designed to teach us how to live and understand our history, for sure. But the most important purpose of the Bible is to draw us closer to God. Through reading it, we can better understand our Creator and desire an intimate relationship with Him.

Part of this craving comes from not ever being able to fully understand all that God is. Perhaps if we had all the stories and all the answers, we wouldn’t long for this relationship so deeply.

As I consider this verse once more, I have a new appreciation for its meaning. Jesus gave us just what we needed in order to understand enough of Him to aim to be like Him and to rest assured that we will always be loved by Him.

This Christmas, no matter the questions and confusions you may have about your future, your faith, or anything in your life, I hope you are filled with peace knowing that no matter what, Jesus loves you.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20

Stillness and Snowflakes

You are an unrepeatable miracle of God.

You’ve likely heard the comparison of people to snowflakes. We’re unique individuals despite sharing the same qualities with one another that make us human. No two persons are the same.

Yet it’s so easy to look around and feel like the odd one out, the one who just isn’t as worthy or valuable as everyone else.

When’s the last time you stared up into the sky and watched the snow fall around you? Shivering as little flakes dust your eyelashes, causing you to blink in delight.

Perhaps you live somewhere without snow, so you’ve never had the opportunity. Or maybe snow is such a common commodity that you have forgotten what it’s like to stand in wonder.

Today, we were driving through thick, fluffy flakes on our way home from church. As we went along, the snow appeared as nonstop lines connecting the heavens to the ground, simple white streaks. But when we stopped at a red light, I stuck my head out the window and everything froze.

Every single unique snowflake fell delicately at its own pace, one after another. There was beauty because there were so many of them. Yet each one fluttered and flew in full acknowledgement of its own importance.

It took hitting the breaks to notice. To care. To ponder.

Whether or not you have snow to admire, perhaps taking a pause today will allow you to reflect on how God has showed up for you in the past and equipped you to face each day’s challenges. The emptiness in your heart will slowly mend as you remember those who did love you rather than those who didn’t take the time to understand you.

As an old professor once told us every class, you are an unrepeatable, irreplaceable miracle of God. Let the truth of those words sink into your heart today.<3

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Psalm 139:14

You Won’t Miss What’s Meant for You

Are you tired of trying to figure out what God’s will is for your life?

God’s will. Two scary words for anyone in a season of waiting, transition, or decision-making.

Every time I’ve made a life decision over the past several years, I’ve been asked, “Is this choice within God’s will?”.

Usually it comes after I’ve asked for advice, when I’m not sure what is the “right” decision. In these moments of overwhelm and confusion, being thrown this additional component makes the process even more daunting.

Perhaps you’ve been in that situation. You really want to please God with your life, use your gifts for His glory, and live with purpose. But…the will of God can seem so broad and significant that even thinking about it results in a headache.

Here’s the thing: We have no control over God’s will. It will happen regardless of what decision we make. One yes or no isn’t going to ruin God’s plan for our lives.

This news might be a relief, or it might be frustrating to hear. We’d like to think we have some sort of handle on what happens to us, right?

I was rereading Luke 1 today, and a new detail caught my eye. For those of you unfamiliar with the beginning of the Christmas story, it starts off with Zechariah the priest in the temple receiving a message from the angel Gabriel announcing the promise of Zechariah’s son, John the Baptist.

However, what I never noticed before was this detail:

Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
Luke 1:8-9 (added italics)

It was beyond Zechariah’s control to be in the temple that day to receive that message at that specific time, yet God orchestrated it in a way to uniquely speak to Zechariah. Even when Zechariah didn’t believe the angel (and received the consequence of losing his voice for nine months), God’s will was done. No matter what, God knew He wanted to use Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth, for the key role of raising up an important leader.

No person, thought, fear, or feeling could remove God’s divine purpose from this family.

God’s will isn’t supposed to be a scary thing that we have to figure out. By prioritizing our relationship with Him and trusting Him with every detail of our lives, we will be able to witness God working even in the most troubling of circumstances. Most of all, as we grow to become more like Him, it will be easier for us to understand how to react when difficult situations arise.

But through it all, even when we make mistakes, God will use you and your special gifts no matter what. He will never leave you alone. ❤

But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth.”
Luke 1:13-14

Gratitude in All Seasons

Encouragement if it’s hard to be grateful this Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is always a time for reflection.

You may be looking back on the past year with contentment. Perhaps this was the year when a lifelong dream came true or new hope was birthed within you.

Or maybe this year has been painful and you don’t know how you made it this far. Fresh scars were stitched permanently on your heart. All you can do is anxiously anticipate the future.

This time of year forces us to generate feelings of “gratitude”, whether we want to or not. It seems wrong to feel discouraged or overwhelmed when we’re supposed to be cheery and excited.

Then, of course, it can seem like we’re betraying God when our immediate emotion isn’t happiness or thankfulness when looking back on memories. Does this mean we don’t trust God?

Something I’ve been realizing this year is that God appreciates genuineness above praise that doesn’t come from the heart. He wants us to be open with Him about what we’re going through, which deepens our relationship with Him.

But how do we avoid enabling ourselves to live in a constant funk while also not forcing ourselves to appear surface-level happy?

Perhaps by redefining what it means to be grateful.

Another word for gratitude is appreciation. When we look back on the variety of moments in our lives that have shaped us, we can appreciate why God allowed us to go through them without being glad that they happened. We don’t have to smile when we remember the loss of a loved one or a heartbreaking situation. We don’t have to shrug off the effort it took to grow in patience or to learn how to take care of ourselves.

Rather, we can have joy knowing that we can trust God with everything, including our disappointments and struggles and injustices. Joy doesn’t equal happiness; it makes room for deeper healing to be explored.

Today, when perhaps there is nothing else to be thankful for or you have everything in the world to be excited about, go to God and be renewed in the hope only faith can bring.

Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;
though lofty, he sees them from afar.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life.
Psalm 138:6-7