Count It All Joy?

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Every time I hear the phrase “Count it All Joy” I can’t help but go back in time and hear a little girl in the fictional town of Odyssey sitting on a bar stool in a malt shoppe. A wonderful older man, Mr. Whitaker, would be counseling her about the “trial” she was going through at the time, and her little doubt-filled voice would remind you of Eeyore of Winnie-the-Pooh fame. “Count it all joy, count it all joy.” She could barely lift her head up, it was all such an effort…(if you are an Adventures in Odyssey fan you can hear the music in the background…”Hi this is Connie!”)

It started out with Erica complaining to her friend Kim about practically everything in her complicated middle-school life. Kim gets so tired of hearing it she “blows up” and tells her friend she doesn’t know how good she has it and she should, “Try being happy once in a while!”

When Erica shows up at Whit’s End, the favorite hangout for the kids, she runs into Jenny, who is blind. Erica asks her how she always seems to be so happy even though she cannot see. Jenny tells her that she lives by James 1:2-4, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:2-4 NKJV.

She said whenever she gets down or starts to feel sorry for herself she just starts saying, “Count it all joy; count it all joy…” and it usually works!

So, Erica gives it a try. In every situation that comes up she tries to use Jenny’s formula. Every time she gets upset she says, “Count it all joy; count it all joy.”

She loses her homework, “Count it all joy.” But it doesn’t work. She is still mad. Every time she tries it she only gets more agitated and what works for Jenny seems to backfire on Erica.

Mr. Whitaker offers some wise advice that we all can learn from. Erica has confused joy with happiness. Joy has nothing to do with the way that we feel.

We cannot always be happy but we can always be joyful!

We count all things joy because God is working in all situations, even when we think He has forgotten us, they are for a purpose.

Our instinct is to avoid conflict, turmoil, anxiety and personal pain at any cost. We even spend a good deal of time and money on counseling, exercise, nutrition, anything that will help us to avoid things that will bring us discomfort.

But according to scripture; trials, heartaches and suffering WILL COME in the life of a Christian.

Looking at the tenth chapter of the book of Hebrews, it seems that they approached their struggles a little differently: “Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.” Hebrews 10:33-34 NLT.

These things happened all the time for the early Christians; they were daily occurrences! So how did they get through?

They kept their eyes on the reward!

“They knew that the persecution, that was only temporary, could not begin to compare to the eternal reward. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18.

This is what our Lord and Savior did. He was able to endure the cross because of the joy that was set before Him. “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV.

There is still joy in the everyday living. You can and will get through each trial if you are trusting in the living God.

[Tweet “Trials produce steadfastness in your life, making you unmovable!”]

“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love… for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:5-10 NKJV.

[Tweet “You cannot always be happy but you CAN always be joyful if you know Jesus Christ.”]

Do you CHOOSE Joy? What we go through on this earth will not be able to be compared to what is waiting for us in heaven! As the old song says,

It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus,
Our trials will seem so small, when we see Christ!
One glimpse of His dear face, all sorrows will erase,
So bravely run this race, ‘til we see Christ!

Were you an Adventures in Odyssey fan? Come on, I am admitting I loved it as much as my boys! We all listened to it as a family on vacations. Let’s get the conversation going!

 

Kingdom2

While it was still dark…

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While it was still dark… Mornings. You either love them or hate them. I am a lover of mornings and I will now gladly list some of the awesome things I enjoy about being up early in the morning. (For clarification, getting up sometime before noon is not early morning, ahem. Just sayin’.) I’m talking EARLY, anywhere from 4 to 6 a.m.

  • Coffee. No need to add anything here. Enough said.
  • The quiet. There is no one to bother you, no as-soon-as-I-rise-my-mouth-goes-96-miles-per-hour-with-incessant-questions in your ear. Just you and the quiet. And Jesus.
  • Sunrise. This has to be one of the most amazing pictures God paints for us every single morning. Naturally, sunSET is just as spectacular but with the sunrise it seems it is just you and God, enjoying it together.
  • Morning prayer. Early morning prayer. I am not one that thinks you can only pray early in the morning. Sometimes I might as well have waited until the afternoon because my eyelids won’t stay open and I am so sleepy it is anybody’s guess what I actually said to the Savior. Thankfully, He understands. But when I push through, there is nothing like starting your day with the Lord of the universe! It makes all the difference in the world. Before social media, before email, before television, the newspaper or even others if it is possible, give me Jesus.
  • Walking. This used to be my absolute favorite activity before the sun would rise. I would slip on those walking shoes and be out that door while the family was still relishing the last few minutes before the alarm would go off. Meeting my SIL at the end of the driveway, we would start our 3 mile trek, waking up the body as we went.  I miss it terribly.

I can seriously go on and on about the benefits of being up in the early morning hours but you get the picture. I am afraid if I don’t get up early I will miss something!

Mary Magdelene thought that too. “Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.” John  20:1 NKJV.

The Bible says she got there while it was still dark. Mary was an early morning person too and today was no exception. She was rewarded with being one of the very first to witness the empty tomb! She ran to tell Peter and the others and the Lord even appeared to her to confirm His resurrection.

Can you imagine being in Mary’s shoes? Seeing the empty tomb, the angel and knowing that your wildest dreams had actually come true? The Savior, the Messiah, did exactly what He said He would do and you were among the first to witness it?

As exciting as that was, it didn’t end there. Jesus still makes Himself available to US every single day, every single moment. He died on that cross for each of us and He rose again that third day so that we could also overcome death, hell and the grave.

The book of Lamentations tells us that the Lord’s mercies are new EVERY MORNING. We have another chance, all things are new! That blesses me every time to think I have a clean slate and when that sun begins to rise I can make it great (as my brother always says) or I can waste it.

Let us resolve, in these last days, to be like Mary Magdalene, not necessarily that we have to be up before dawn but that we be expectant, eager, anticipating what God has for us and for those around us. If we have spent time at His feet we will be able to hear His voice, as Mary did, and have a purpose to GO and tell others that He is alive!

Have a wonderful Resurrection Sunday with your family and friends. May you worship our Risen Savior with reckless abandon and humble adoration. He is coming again; don’t miss it!

For the kingdom

when your surprise doesn't look like you expected

When your surprise doesn’t look like you expected

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“Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives, is the perfect preparation for the future only He can see.” ~Corrie ten Boom

When we were living and working in the country of Latvia, The Sweetheart went on a prayer walk by himself one day. Most everyone he would meet on the street spoke either Latvian or Russian, unless they were 30 years or younger, then they were taught English as the international business language in school. So there was not much interaction, but plenty of time for praying, as you walked.

Coming upon a little park area, he noticed a man slumped over, shirtless and likely inebriated. He felt led to talk to the man and at least see if he could help in some small way so he started over towards the park bench when all of a sudden, the naked-from-the-waist-up man sat up and The Sweetheart shockingly discovered he was not a he but a she! Surprise! Likely in her late 60’s, heavy set and definitely not cared for, this poor soul was so drunk she had left the house without any upper clothing.

None. Nada. Zilch. Naked.

Lord! Why would you lead me to talk to someone like this? She won’t speak English, she isn’t half there and how could I be of help to her when I can’t even look at her? Arguing with himself and with God, he decides to go into the little market and get some meat, bread and water to at least have something to offer her if he must go through with this mission.

Coming out of the market, he sees Latvian policija have approached the poor soul and were helping her back to her apartment. A sense of relief and confusion came over him as he wondered what it all meant.

Did he miss the opportunity because he hesitated?

when your surprise doesn't look like you expected

 

Sad and sorrowful, thinking he had totally messed up a chance to share the Gospel, or at least be the hands and feet of Jesus, he stood there wondering what to do next when he saw him.

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25:37-40 NKJV.

Digging in the trash in the park was another older man, who was really a man, with all of his clothes on. Obviously, he had not eaten a good meal, or a fresh meal, in a long time and truly looked destitute. The Sweetheart approached him, and in his limited Russian, offered him his little lunch. Surprised and thankful the elderly man uttered, “Spasiba! Spasiba!” thanking him over and over for his generosity.

He wasn’t able to share the Good News that Jesus saves but he was able to bless him and give him strength for his physical body. Was that what it was all about? Was the Lord just wanting to see, like Abraham with Isaac, whether this American, out of place in Eastern Europe, would be willing to approach a lost soul, any soul, and trust God to take care of the rest?

I think so. The Sweetheart discovered much about himself that day and discovered much about others as well. We are all lost like the woman on the park bench or the man digging in the trash. We might even be wealthy and think we have need of nothing but in reality, stripped bare, we are all the same: lost and undone if we do not have Jesus Christ.

How many people do we pass on a daily basis that are hungry, physically or spiritually, that are just waiting for someone to stop and share either their lunch or the bread of life? Are we too busy? Are we too embarrassed to be seen with some of them?

Will we let God surprise us in the big and little ways and allow ourselves to be a tool in the hand of the Creator?

God will use us for great things if we make ourselves available in the little. Some of the situations might surprise us and some might cause a giggle or two (I like to think even God was smiling while watching The Sweetheart in his dilemma). But the surprise might really be when we stand before the throne and discover that one that we reached for, shared with, or just offered a cup of water to, might be standing beside us.

Remember, one plants, another waters but God gives the surprise, the increase.