Rejoicing
I think I’m really good at sadness. Too good some days.
If you look back at what I submitted for my writing classes in college, about 99% of it is sad or angry. And a lot of the unwritten books in my head deal with heavy topics and the darkest days we face as humans. Even most of my poems usually end up sounding more like psalms of lament or petition than anything else. (You can find one of my happier ones here.)
Don’t get me wrong, there’s a time and a place for all of that. I needed to be a bit angry and sad in college, when I was learning how to truly be an adult and coming to terms with a lot I had previously buried. And even now, a few years later, I still wrestle with things on a weekly basis that leave me weary, hopeless, and crying out to God for help.
And yet. My life as a whole hasn’t been marked by great sorrow or sadness. I have a good, loving family. I have a degree I enjoyed earning, a steady job, close friends, the energy and ability to pursue my passions and hobbies, etc. But how often do I focus on the shadows instead of the sunlight?
God has been so, so good to me, and I take that for granted on a daily basis. This isn’t me beating myself up and saying I need to do better, but rather, reminding myself that as long as my eyes are open and my heart is beating, I can be thankful. I can praise Him with every breath I take simply because I have breath to give. And I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to live a life steeped in sadness, pouring out lament after lament after lament, when I could also rejoice.
Isaiah 61:10 (NIV) says,
I delight greatly in the Lord;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
Lord, open my eyes to Your light pouring into my life from every direction! Give me a grateful heart for all You’ve given me. Help me weep when it’s time to weep, and rejoice when it’s time to rejoice. Don’t let me forget all the reasons I have to worship You and live life abundantly, overflowing with joy. Amen.
