Is it possible to still have a joyful life during a season of sadness and disappointment?
It’s a question I’ve pondered quite often lately.
Of course, I know the answer is yes. But I’ve got to be honest…I’m still figuring out exactly how to make that answer a reality.
Joy undone…
I’m not sure when it happened, but I realized some time ago that I had lost my joy.
The signs were obvious, so I have no idea why it took me so long to figure out something was wrong.
I was increasingly impatient with my kids and short with my husband. My stress and anxiety levels were through the roof.
And I found myself with a negative attitude more often than not.
It wasn’t like me at all.
I’m the girl who gets excited over a fountain drink from QT. Or a delicious cup of Starbucks.
I get ridiculously happy with just a piece of chocolate and my favorite television show. And I’m someone who usually sees the best in people.
I can find joy in pretty much anything-from my favorite drink to a beach vacation.
At least that’s who I used to be.
A season of hardship…
But life hadn’t went according to plan lately.
Adversity had been my close companion for quite awhile. Our family had experienced loss, faced trials, and dealt with a whole lot of unfulfilled dreams.
To describe it as a season of struggle would be an understatement…
We grieved the death of two immediate family members only months apart. Made four moves in a handful of years.
Walked through struggles with infertility and two miscarriages. Sought treatment for multiple significant health concerns for my husband.
Dealt with long periods of financial strain and tough career choices.
Prayed and planned and worked for a country home to call our own…while watching that reality hover just out of our reach.
And then all that was topped off with a global pandemic and a nation in chaos.
Definitely not the road we’d planned to walk just a few short years before.
A hard lesson…
I had seen my hopes dashed more times than I could count. The last few years had felt like a relentless onslaught of hardship.
I didn’t understand what God was doing. And I was finding it increasingly hard to maintain a joyful life.
But we continued to trust his faithfulness. And despite all the challenges, we could still clearly see His hand on our lives.
He worked faithfully on our behalf time and again.
He answered prayers we didn’t even know how to pray. Delivered miracles we didn’t know we needed.
And He has gave us strength to keep going when the disappointment and loss seemed too much to bear.
I’m thankful for His steadfast love and grace. And I know my faith grows stronger as a result of each and every hardship.
He is refining me.
Changing my heart in ways I don’t even fully comprehend. And teaching me to trust Him more.
But I’ve discovered something about prolonged seasons of trial.
They do a number on your soul.
When faced with one challenge after another, weariness sets in. When your dreams stay out of reach, discouragement starts to take over.
And after awhile, if you’re not careful, that weariness and discouragement can steal your joy.
That’s what happened to me.
Feeling discouraged? Find hope with “20 Bible Verses About Choosing Joy.”
A sneaky surprise…
At first, I was completely unaware of what was occurring. Or maybe I just wanted to pretend it wasn’t a problem.
Despite the warning signs of irritability, impatience, and stress, I convinced myself I was just fine.
Then somewhere along the way, I realized my feet hit the floor each morning with a sense of dread instead of anticipation. My usual excitement for whatever lay ahead had been replaced with a “just get through the day” mentality.
For the girl who used to find happiness in the littlest things, this was a startling revelation.
And I wasn’t just waking up on the wrong side of the bed every once in awhile. It was a daily thing.
My joy was gone.
A choice to make…
I was at a crossroads. I could continue down the current path, not enjoying much of anything. And making those around me miserable in the process!
Or I could figure out how to get my joyful life back.
The choice was pretty easy. The hard part was figuring out how to make it happen.
I knew it was very possible my circumstances wouldn’t change anytime soon.
We didn’t have that precious baby. My husband’s health concerns (while improved) were far from over.
And we still lived smack dab in the middle of the city-far from rolling hills and big blue skies.
Not to mention the pandemic that wouldn’t end or the uncertainty of our nation’s future.
Depending on a change in our situation to restore my joy was a sure recipe for more disappointment and heartache.
But I knew exactly where a joyful life could be found.
The same place it had always been.
Jesus.
Learn how to live with joy regardless of your circumstances in “How to Keep Your Joy When You Don’t Feel Happy.”
Taking back a joyful life…
The source of my joy hadn’t gone anywhere. But I’d allowed the cares and concerns of this world to smother it.
With each challenge, a little bit of that joy had been chipped away. I let every disappointment steal a tiny piece of hope.
And almost before I realized it, that deep, abiding joy of the Lord was absent from my life.
I realized to regain my joy I needed to change my focus. I would have to shift my gaze from my problems, to my God.
So, I’ve set out to do just that.
I made a goal to spend more time in the Word. I start and end my day reading the Bible.
I’m also currently on a 31 day media and television fast. I’m listening to worship music and sermons instead of watching the news or my favorite TV shows.
And I’m making every effort to focus on what I have to be grateful for, instead of what has gone wrong.
A work in progress…
I’ll be honest. I’m not my previous joyful self.
Yet.
But I’m hopeful for the future. And I know I’m moving in the right direction.
As I begin to rediscover a joyful life, I can feel hope start to rise up again. There’s more to look forward to and less to dread.
I’m not where I want to be. But I’m well on the way.
And I’ve made a decision that I won’t give up.
I’ll continue pursuing joy that goes far beyond a fountain drink or a cup of coffee. Joy that’s rooted in my Creator.
Because that kind of joy remains constant…even in the face of life’s greatest adversities.
How do you keep a joyful life during hard times? Please share in the comments below!
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