Sorrow In Your Joy

“Weeping may last for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”   Psalm 30:5

I recently led a women’s retreat on the topic “Take Time To Be Joyful.”  When I was asked months ago to lead this retreat on joy, I was not feeling like I was living in joy.  I was seeing moments of joy and feelings of contentment in life, but still felt unsettled. I was trying to figure out life without grief being the center.  I was processing through my grief knowing I did not want to stay focused on grief the rest of my life.  I am aware grief will always be a part of me, but was my life built on grief or on joy?

In Philippians, Paul tells us – “Be full of joy in the Lord always.  I will say again, be full of joy.”  (4:4)  Joy is within us and we are to be full of joy in the Lord always.  What is this joy then?  Joy is not based on external circumstances of life, that is what happiness is.  I am happy because I am eating my favorite ice cream.  I am happy when the sun is shining.  Happiness is temporary but joy is forever.  Joy is from within.  It comes from the Lord and lives within our hearts.

Joy is part of our foundation of faith.  When you give your heart to Jesus, He fills you with His joy.  It is a deep and abiding joy.  It is being content knowing Jesus has a hold of your hand and walks with you through the sorrows and hurts of life.  Joy is a trust that no matter what is happening in my life, I can experience the presence of Jesus.  In my grief and sorrow, I knew God was with me and was holding my hand and even carrying me when life seems so difficult and hopeless.  As I journeyed through my grief, I became content that this was the way my life would always be.  It was OK to be sad and grieve and it was Ok to have moments of happiness and live in the moment.  But there was still something missing in my heart.

Joy is not something we create on our own but comes from within us when we allow the Holy Spirit to be
in control.  Joy is a choice.  Joy does not mean I smile and am happy on the outside all the time.  Joy means that I am intentional in choosing to see God as the center of my life and guiding me through the valleys and mountains of life.  Joy is choosing to look at the positive side of life and not listen to all the negative chatter of the world around me.  Joy is the foundation of my life and the foundation allows for sorrow to mingle in the joy.  Sorrow is a part of my life but not a part of the foundation of my life.  I do not build my life on sorrow but on joy.

Joy and sorrow mingle together, but joy is always under the sorrow.  In my sorrow and grief, I know that God’s love and presence is what is sustaining me.  I am being held in God’s loving arms until the storm passes by.  I
reach for my loving Father’s hand throughout each day to remind me I am not alone.  When my grief and sadness seem overwhelming, I bring my focus back to Jesus.  Joy and contentment is only found in the presence of Jesus.