Joy

The Bible study ladies and I are studying about joy right now, so when I saw the following picture pop-up on my Facebook page (it was actually on Honorine Nkanga's page from In Touch Ministries), I knew I had to send it to them. Here is what it said:

Life doesn't have to be empty of sorrow to be full of JOY

Commentary underneath:  As children of God, we are expected to be full of the joy that comes with knowing we are loved by Jesus. But that doesn't mean we never experience pain or sadness.

And then the next day, KTB commented on it/shared it in my messages. I don't know if he saw it from me or someone else, but it was nice to see it again.

This is from the Bible study book on joy. This session is called "Poke Holes in the Darkness"

The session started out with my favorite Bible verse:

Those who hope in the Lord

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31

"Beware of spending too much time looking back at what you once were when God wants you to become something you have never been."  -Oswald Chambers

Jesus said that when adversity knocks us off balance, it can reorient us to a more Godward, blessed life.

This reminds me of what I'm working on with my counselor:  The impact of these negative words and images on our lives is profound, because they create a spiraling effect.

One of the most powerful ways to fight back with joy is to engage in less hurtful self-talk and more holy soul-talk.

Psalm 27:13-14

I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the

goodness of the Lord

in the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord;

be strong and let your heart take courage;

yes, wait for the Lord.

Sometimes you have to poke holes in the darkness until it bleeds light.

Session Four:  Discover Joy in the Mourning

Notable: Grief is derived from the Latin verb meaning to be burdened. For some, grief can feel like a heavy burden. Mourning is derived from the Latin verb meaning be anxious. Mourning is a process of remembering what was lost and provides a way for our bodies, minds, and hearts to metabolize loss. (This is profound-I might have to analyze this quote further by looking up metabolize, etc. This deserves its own post I think).

Grief is a God-given response to loss.

Matthew 5:4

Happy are those who mourn;

God will comfort them!

Quotable (because I love A.W. Tozer): "A state of emotion always comes between the knowledge and the act...God intended that truth should move us to moral action. The mind receives ideas, mental pictures of things as they are. These excite the feelings and these in turn move the will to act in accordance with the truth...Be sure that human feelings can never be completely stifled. If they are forbidden their normal course, like a river they will cut another channel through the life and flow out to curse and ruin and destroy."

Notable: In Rabbinic literature, a sword represented mourning. The vivid imagery suggested a loss could strike deep at any time. During the first three days of mourning, the image of a sword was raised above a mourner's shoulder. Through day 7, the sword could approach the bereaved from the corner of the room. Those who suffered through the loss of a loved one could expect the sword to pass him or her on the street until the end of day 30. And the sword was likely to strike any family member throughout the full year. This imagery reminds us that moments of mourning can hit us at any time-long after the loss has occurred.

Quotable:  "Depth of sorrow is the sign of a healthy soul, not a sick soul. It does not have to be morbid or fatalistic. It is not something to escape but to embrace...Sorrow indicates that people who have suffered loss are living authentically in a world of misery, and it expresses the emotional anguish of people who feel pain for themselves or for others. Sorrow is noble and gracious. It enlarges the soul until the soul is capable of mourning and rejoicing simultaneously, of feeling the world's pain and hoping for the world's healing at the same time. However painful, sorrow is good for the soul." -Gerald Stittser, author

There was an exercise in this session to write a letter to God and then have Him write one back. I was amazed at how the letter back flowed. I shared it with the Bible study ladies.

Dear God,

Sometimes the grief seems...endless. I know it will be in a way, as long as I live (accidentally wrote "as long as I love" which applies too) to some degree. Help me to remember how close you are, closer than my breath. Thank you for that. You got me through this far, through some deep, dark places. You are there for me always.

Much love,

Andi

Dear Andi,

Thank you for being honest about your grief...I know it was harder than you ever thought, but there is purpose in this pain. I wouldn't put you through this for nothing. You have learned much from this loss as I shape you into the person who I created you to be. Keep learning, keep growing and keep making Hayden and me proud. I love you more than you will ever know.

Your Loving Father

Verses:

2 Corinthians 1:3:4: "Praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God."

Isaiah 41:10: "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Isaiah 43:2:  "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze."

Romans 8:18:  "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with that glory that will be revealed in us."

Psalm 126:5: "Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!"

1 Peter 5:6-7: "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

Psalm 22:24:  "For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help."

(Not mourning session anymore):

Acts 27:25:  "So keep your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me."

Proverbs 29:18:  "Where there is no vision, the people perish."