Faithful Friday 15
Chasting Future Joy
Happy Friday, Friends!
I hope your week has held more mercies than messes, but if not, grab that cup of coffee (or a glass of wine if it’s evening) and settle in for our weekly chat.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about the pull to chase future joy instead of living in the joy of this very moment. We live in one part of Atlanta, and our boys go to school in another, which can sometimes make life feel a bit disjointed. My kids have two different sets of friends, which makes it hard for me to find a consistent community. And let’s be honest, we do a lot of driving! I end up feeling like a tourist in my own town and a commuter in another, which leads me straight into playing the “if only” game. You know the one: “If only we lived in that neighborhood,” “if only we were closer,” “if only I had a tight-knit group of mom friends!” If only this, then I would be happy.
But all the mental energy I spend on that future joy is energy drained from finding joy in my present. And when I actually stop to look around, there is truly so much joy to be found right here.
If you ever feel caught in that cycle of chasing a future happiness, this week’s chat is just for you. Let’s dig in.
Can’t Steal My Joy by Josiah Queen
What the world couldn’t give,
No, it can’t take away
Sorrow may come,
But it can’t steal my joy
Can’t steal my joy
In the high highs, in the low lows
You fill my cup, You fill it up until it overflows
I remember, I’ll keep holding on to hope
It is so easy to allow this world to steal our joy. As hard as it is, we have to wake up daily and choose to find joy right where we are. Sometimes we’re facing deep grief or unforeseen circumstances. Other times, we’re simply stuck in the thought cycle that we’ll only feel joy if something specific comes our way.
But as believers, we get to live with this beautiful reality: no one can ever truly steal our joy, because our joy is built on the solid ground of Jesus.
Don’t let this world and all its circumstances harden your heart. Keep it soft, open, and ready to receive the joy He gives. Let this song be your anthem when you need to fight for it.
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Did you know “rejoice” is in the Bible 198 times (according to biblegateway.com)? That tells me God isn’t asking for passive happiness. He’s commanding an active, defiant choice to find our joy in Him, regardless of our situation.
This verse doesn’t tell us to rejoice when it feels right or when our children are acting like angels. It says, simply and concisely, “rejoice always.”
The funny thing is, we are naturally drawn to what makes us happy. We gravitate toward comfort and ease, and we push wholeheartedly against anything that causes unrest. We like to hide from hardship.
But the joy Paul is talking about has nothing to do with moments of gratification, encouragement, or safety. The joy Paul is talking about is solely found in the Lord: in His never-changing goodness, mercy, forgiveness, and love.
When we have a joy like that, it becomes so rooted in our soul that even when hard circumstances come (and they will), we have something unbreakable and unstealable (may have made that word up :) ) to hold onto.
You know, it’s funny. I’ve been in such a funk over our current circumstances, but as I started writing this, I literally had to laugh out loud. Don’t get me wrong, this season feels hard and lonely at times. But as a family, we have faced harder.
From the moment Jones was diagnosed with his CHD, through his first procedure, his full heart transplant, recovery, and now raising a medically complex child… There have been days when joy seemed impossible.
I used to treat joy as something fleeting, a cool breeze that floated in and out of the window. I was happy to see it come, but never knew when it would return. I latched onto it, holding on tightly, thinking that if I just clutched hard enough to good doctor’s reports, new opportunities, or new friendships, they wouldn’t drift away. But that’s not life, and I was holding onto the wrong things.
I’m coming to see that clinging to circumstances will only disappoint me as one season rolls into the next. But when I look back, even in the darkest moments, there was one light that brought true joy and contentment: my relationship with Jesus. He’s always there, holding out joy in the form of grace, unconditional love, and the promise of salvation.
Maybe that sounds too lofty or far away from your current reality. I get it. I’ve been there, too. But instead of putting this email down, feeling discouraged, I challenge you to do this: look back at the ways He has been faithful in your life. Recount the incredible times He’s shown up when no one else has. And open your eyes to the ways He is doing it for you right now.
The “Find The Good” Game
I’m not the only one in my house who struggles to find joy in the moment; Jones often gets stuck in his own loop of “if onlys,” too. So, we’ve started a simple practice we call the “Find The Good” game.
Whenever I hear one of the boys going down a negative path, I gently say, “Stop! Let’s play ‘Find The Good.’” I ask them to find one good thing about the situation they’re complaining about.
For example, last week, Jones was dreading a school day because he didn’t have his favorite specials class. I stopped him in his doubtful little tracks and asked him to find one thing he could get excited about. He thought for a second and said, “Well... I have basketball club today after school!”
It’s a small moment, but it’s a practice. It helps us actively train our hearts and minds to look for God’s goodness, even in the mundane or the disappointing. It’s our family’s way of choosing to “rejoice always,” one little good thing at a time.
Lord,
You are so good. Your mercy and grace fill my cup until it overflows.
Open my eyes to see the blessings you’ve placed right in front of me in this very moment.
Show me how to build a joyful, contented life with the pieces you’ve given me, not the ones I wish I had.
Above all, draw our hearts to seek you first each day, for our relationship with you is where true, unshakable joy begins.
Amen.
Until next week, Blair
Because Motherhood is hard. But you? You’re held.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”
{Mathew 5:7}