Rejoice in the Lord always
She reaches down and strokes back damp hair. On the bed, the tiny form of their precious child is still. Her husband wraps sturdy arms around her waist. The house waits quietly for Christmas morning. Joy overflows into quiet tears. “Oh Lord, Oh Lord!”
The joy of the LORD is your strength
She reaches down and strokes back damp hair. On the bed, the shrunken form trembles in pain. That form has fitted itself to her body for decades. The agony of “one flesh” is real. Quiet tears overflow. “Oh Lord, Oh Lord! Where is your joy in THIS?”
A whisper forms in her heart. “My joy is knowing my beloved does not face his pain alone – that you, my beloved too – will be as faithful in death as you have been in life together.”
Rejoice in the Lord always
“Joy to the World!” The familiar words sing out. Ancient words are read, “she laid him in a manger…” Candles glow; the child slips her fingers into Grandpa’s wrinkled hand. His heart swells. “Oh Lord, Oh Lord! I never knew I could love like this.”
The joy of the LORD is your strength
“Joy to the World,” the television blares. He hits the remote to silence the mocking words. A battery-operated candle flickers its fake glow against the care-home room wall. His wrinkled hand holds a phone that does not ring; he watches a door that doesn’t open. “Oh Lord, Oh Lord! I know they are all busy, but I never knew loving them could hurt like this. Where is your joy in this loneliness Lord?
A quiet whisper forms in his heart. “You are not alone- You are my beloved and I have come. It gives me joy simply to be with you.”
Rejoice in the Lord always
The phone pings with a text. “Arrived.” Her son is safe. It will be a lonelier Christmas with him far away, but he is safe. The phone rings. Her heart swells with joy as she hears his voice. “Oh Lord, Oh Lord – thank you!”
The joy of the LORD is your strength
The phone is silent. There will be no call, no text. No cell-phone in prison cells. “Oh Lord, just keep him safe! Lord, where is your joy in THIS mess?”
A quiet whisper forms in her heart. “How I love that boy! My joy is to know that even now, there is a mother-heart who will love him with Me. He is My beloved – and so are you, dear one.”
Happiness is wonderful. Love fills our hearts. Life is good. But happiness is unpredictable, dependent on circumstances. Joy is deeper. “Rejoice in the LORD always” writes Paul, from a dank prison cell. Rejoice?
“In the LORD,” says Paul. The joy of the LORD is rooted in the sharing of our very souls with the One who has come, always comes. Tears of grief or anger may hide Him– yet He is there- and it is in looking for His joy we find our strength. And when our hearts swell with happy times, sharing His delight magnifies our joy. The LORD’s joy is to be together, in dark and light, with His beloved. And His beloved is you.
Quotations from Philippians 4:4 and Nehemiah 8:10 (NRSV)
Also find this post in Our Story Magazine.
Thoughts for Reflection
- Where are your happiest memories? And your deepest memories of joy? Are they different?
- What do you anticipate this Christmas season?
- Where will you find God’s joy – and how will it strengthen you?
- Think back on difficult times – can you picture Jesus in them? Ask Him where His joy was in them.
- Does looking at your past, or present, in the light of seeing God’s joy, change things?