Finding joy in the journey

From the highest mountaintop to the deepest valley.  From the twists and turns to the straight and forward motion.  From the sweetest moments to the ugliest, dire circumstances.  The back and forths, the ups and downs, the ins and outs.

This is the journey.  The journey of life.

Always be joyful.

Never stop praying.

Be thankful in all circumstances.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Rejoice always?  Yes... always.  It's not an option for me.  Joy is praise.  Joy is my weapon.  It's not about pretending that everything is peachy keen.  It's about having an attitude that says, "no matter what life throws my way, it will never cause me to grow disillusioned with my Savior".  Even when it takes every ounce of strength to put a smile on my face.  I choose joy.  

Never stop praying?  How is that even possible?  The demands of life pull me in so many ways.  I am busy.  But prayer has become a part of who I am.  It's not something I go and do, it's like breathing. A constant state of living in the presence of a loving and powerful God.  It's not a way for me to get what I want.  It's a way for me to plug into his power and remain in his will.  It's an attitude of the heart.

It's easy to be thankful for something you love, but what if the very thing that is given to us is far from lovely?  I'm not thankful FOR my circumstances.  I am thankful IN them.   I am thankful that God promises to never leave me.   He is there with me, carrying me, holding me, never letting me go.  He is the one who is strengthening me, protecting me, loving me and guiding me even through the most difficult of days.  In my circumstances, he is still there. And for that, I am thankful.

Never stop rejoicing.  Never stop praying. Never stop thanking him. ever.  

That is how I find joy in the journey.