The week was set to be one of the busiest ever for me! Showing my horse at the rodeo. Busy work schedule. Brand new puppy demanding non-stop attention. What could go wrong?
Plenty. Little did I know I would come down with something that led to something that led to a place I rarely find myself….. flat on the couch. Suffice it to say, one diagnosis changed my week. What was I to do?
Just over a week ago, we welcomed our sweet new English Springer Spaniel puppy, named Chara. Her name is a Greek noun, which describes a feeling of inner gladness, delight, rejoicing and joy. Right in front of me each day, I’m reminded of the “joy factor”! But, how do I find joy when a trial changes my week?
Even in the midst of this fierce sickness, I could find joy. Why? Because joy is a choice. It’s a choice every morning when I wake up. It’s a choice every time I walk into work. It’s a choice when my whole entire week blows up. I had a choice to make. Would I choose joy or feeling sorry for myself?
Well, I could easily have taken the “feeling sorry for myself” route. There were moments I did! I chose to do a bit of study on the word “Chara” in Greek. Dr. Donald Campbell, former president of Dallas Theological Seminary, describes the Greek word Chara as “a deep and abiding inner rejoicing which was promised to those who abide in Christ. (John 15:11) It does not depend on circumstances because it rests in God’s sovereign control of all things.” Let that sink in.
Joy is found in Christ. In our house, I have a four-legged puppy that reminds me of this kind of joy every day. Will I trust that God is sovereign and will use even this sickness in my life for good? I’m ready to trust Him and see all He has to teach me in this “time out” from life.
Choosing joy is a choice. Today, tomorrow and the next day. I not only want joy, I want more of it each day. How about you?
“Joy is not necessarily the absence of suffering. It is the presence of God.” Sam Storms
Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.
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