The Gifts of Christmas – Joy (Part 2 of a 3 Part Series)

  • By Trish Berg
  • December 14, 2011
  • 364
                        
Struggling with loads of laundry, clutter in the kitchen and chaos in your life? Stress can easily steal our joy. Trish Berg reminds us to simplify the small stuff and find Joy in the Journey. Note: Please join me here next week as I wrap up my 3 Part Series on the Gifts of Christmas. Last week was on the gift of Comfort. This week is on the gift of Joy. If you missed a column, you can find them all on the Graphic Publications website. Things don’t always go my way. I would guess that things do not always go your way either. Life is full of disappointments, frustrations and hurt feelings. We all have moments in our lives when we feel that no one understands us, accepts us, or truly knows us inside and out. Last week, things didn’t go my way. So I spent some time thinking about true joy. As always God has a way of meeting us where we are to show us something brand new and take us to where He wants us to go. In some silent reflection, God reminded me that joy comes from the inside, not from our circumstances. Joy is not something that happens to us, it is a choice we make every day. Joy can be found in the midst of pain and true joy can be unexplainable to someone who does not know Jesus. Maybe that’s why those of us who do know Jesus are called to joy no matter what life throws at us. Last week, my feelings were hurt. I spent twelve hours in tears on and off. In fact, I threw myself a regular old pity party and finally fell asleep praying as the tears moistened my pillow. I don’t want you to feel sorry for me; I did enough of that for myself. And I am sure the hurt I felt is probably nothing compared to hurt you have felt in your own life at times. What I do want is to explain how I found joy in the midst of that hurt. I woke up the next day, and though my circumstances had not changed, I found a sense of joy in the midst of the pain. I started looking at my circumstance with a new perspective; a godly perspective. I gave up control of my life and trusted in God’s plan, and in doing so, found joy only Christ can bring. God does not promise us an easy path. What He does promise is that it will rain on the righteous and unrighteous (Matthew 5:45), so grab an umbrella and get ready for the thunderstorms of life. And then comes Christmas. “And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:10-11). I can hardly imagine the magnificent sight of the angels in the sky singing and the joy the shepherds felt at that moment. I want to feel that joy every day of my life no matter what storms rain on me. The gift of joy is not wrapped in colored paper tied with a ribbon and sitting under your Christmas tree. The true gift of Joy was wrapped in swaddling clothes and born in a stable so that if we believe in Him, we can have ever lasting life (Luke 2:7). Whatever is going on in your life today, whatever hurt you may be feeling right now, know that true joy can still be found in that manger in the arms of a Savior who understands you, feels your pain and knows you inside and out. The true gift of joy can be unwrapped all year long. No assembly required.


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