The Joy of Hope

Sometimes, these days, I will stop and reflect on how joyful I am. That in itself is a miracle, because I have not always felt that way. When I found Jesus at the age of thirteen, I started to have a deep abiding peace in my heart. But joy – that has taken a while. Yes, the seed of joy was planted and I could feel it at times. But I had a lot of tough stuff to go through. The lightheartedness I feel today took a lot of prayer and patience.

When I was sixteen, I heard a Christian comedian quote Colossians 1:27. The words resonated in my soul. I knew it was true. I knew that hope and joy were there for the taking, but they seemed so elusive.

It took a while for me to realize that the best thing to do was to let go. To see that the burdens weighing me down wouldn't last forever. I finally learned to submit to the heavenly potter as he molded me into the vessel he had in mind.

As I battled mental illness, loneliness and setbacks in life, it snuck up on me: this joy. This joy I have is a persistent, unexplainable connection with the heart of God that I wouldn’t trade for anything.

Today I have friends, a good bit of mental wholeness, and more opportunities than I know what to do with. But though these things play a part, they are not where my joy comes from. My joy comes from knowing Jesus, from having him calm the storms in my life. It comes from renewed hope. In my book, there is no real joy without hope.

I have always loved heart-shaped rocks, and birds and bird feathers. Together, I find that these things tell a powerful story. Jesus is the rock of my life. Hope is the nest that the bird builds on that rock, and joy? Joy is the bird that soars through the sky, so free and exultant. As he flies, a feather floats down into my waiting hand, a reminder of the blessing of joy. In other words, hope is the launch pad for joy. And Christ in me is the hope of glory.

Dear Father, thank you so much for hope in Christ, which paves the way for true joy in our hearts. Help me continue to praise you for your hope in my heart, and share that hope with others. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Throughout this day: what does joy mean to you? How can you tell the story of how you found joy in your life today?

Did you ever sing “I’ve got the joy joy joy joy down in my heart” as a child? Take a moment to reflect on that simple song and whether or not it is true in your life today.