TJBM Challenge…checking in

Alright, it’s been a week since we started The Joy Before Me Challenge!  How is it going?  Has it helped you notice more of the joy in your life than you otherwise would have noticed?  I hope so!  One of the greatest joys for our family this week was Justin’s new job!  We are so grateful for the Lord’s provision during those 15 weeks of unemployment and we are overjoyed to have closed the door on that difficult journey.  This weekend, I came across a passage about joy that I hadn’t read before.

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed.  Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy.  Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy. (Psalm 126:1-3, NIV)

I feel like Justin and I could have written a Psalm similar to this one.  Like the psalmist’s community experienced the Lord’s mercy, we did too.  And we were blown away by God’s goodness.  We have literally laughed a little about how things unfolded (much easier to laugh when it’s over). And when the job came, we couldn’t wait to tell our friends and family that the Lord had provided…He had done great things for us.  And we are filled with joy!

Life happens in seasons.  There are seasons that feel easy, happy, good.  And there are other seasons that feel hard, discouraging and void of good.  Our little family has experienced both kinds of seasons and I’m sure yours has too.  If you are in one of those easier, happier seasons, can I encourage you to thank the Lord for His goodness and mercy in your life?  And if you are in one of those hard, discouraging seasons, can I encourage you to look back at your life and remember the great things the Lord has done for you?  Your current circumstances do not reflect how He feels about you.  He loves you.  He wants good things for you.  And don’t forget that these seasons are just for “a little while” and that there is “wonderful joy ahead.”  (1 Peter 1:6)