Finding Joy

              In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. (I Peter 1:6-7)

             fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)

             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) Yes, again.

            The devotional I seem to be peaking at has to do with joy. We often think of joy, as we do of love, as being felt. We fall into it and out of it – and seemingly, somehow, mostly out. We don’t think of it as something we can influence or choose. We’re like Anne of Avonlea, on Mount Everest one moment, and at the bottom of the Marianas Trench the next. And the midst of being tossed hither and thither by the waves of emotion, we look down our noses at the Pollyannas of this world, who seem to miss out on both extremes, but maintain a status quo of general positivity. (I wonder, could that status quo be the sort of peace Jesus talked about?)

            Today’s verses suggest a different line of thinking. It doesn’t pretend that everything’s wonderful. It recognizes that right now may be difficult, but it also works on faith in a positive future – also known as hope. I’ve said many times that when we are stressed or hurt, our universe shrinks down to the size and shape of the pain and its cause. To have joy in our lives, we have to choose to look beyond that to a positive future. We may not even know what that positive future might look like, but at the very least, we need to be willing to look for its vague outline.

            A friend shared a quote that gives me a sense of direction for when I’m struggling:

"Wherever the providence of God may dump us down, in a slum, in a shop, in the desert, we have to labour along the line of His direction. Never allow this thought—'I am of no use where I am,' because you certainly can be of no use where you are not! Wherever He has engineered your circumstances, pray." (Oswald Chambers, So Send I You)

This may not be a solution for everything or everyone, but for someone who is more focused on activity than on people, it may be a step forward. I’ve been telling folks that homesteading is doing what you can with what you have where you are. Dallas Willard has referred to doing the “next good thing,” and I’ve referred to doing the “obvious.” When I am overwhelmed or depressed, I tend to see no way forward, but maybe that’s because I’m supposed to do what I can, where I am, with what I have. Maybe the way to joy is to be where we are.