Bubbles of Joy
Thanksgiving Day 2010 I had a unique experience.
Living in central coastal Florida, the fall is a lovely season. The air thins, the temperatures drop a few degrees, and the wind rattles the still-drying leaves.
Since we were headed to friends for Thanksgiving that afternoon, I decided to take a leisurely bike ride that morning.
I’d just contracted and started writing The Wedding Dress. There was a bit of movie interests. The book seemed to “write itself,” as much as any book could “write itself.”
My writing career to that point had been so-so. And I’d just finished a season of co-writing with someone else.
This book, this season, felt different. As if my career might take a good turn.
As I rode my bike through the neighborhood, the sun high, the sky blue, the wind gentle against my face, I started laughing.
But not the ha-ha kind of laughter. No. This was the the bubbling-up-from-the-inside kind. The kind that changes your emotions.
As I pedaled through the fall day, waves of joy washed over me. I was truly thankful on this Thanksgiving holiday.
The joy was more than being in a good mood. They joy was from the Lord.
In my effort to understand, I thought maybe God was going to blow fire on my career and I’d blow up. In a good way.
Or some great thing was about to happen.
But I’ve come to know God’s timing is not our timing. But He is always about doing good.
I’d dealt with the wicked onslaught of anxiety years before and the joy was just more of anecdote to those now-rare moments.
But joy isn’t just an emotion when we’re happy or things are going well. Joy is a supernatural infusion when things are not going well.
I love this verse from Nehemiah 8:10: “Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
It’s a popular plaque and refrigerator verse. Except for the first part.
“Do not be grieved …”
We forget that part. Joy is ours even when we are grieved. The verse is saying, “Look up, the Lord has provided for you.”
The entire Gospel of Jesus the Christ is about our joy being made complete.
So my little bubbles of joy all those years ago was about something deeper than my career getting a fresh wind or the miracle of a movie deal (still waiting on that one, ha!). It was about walking in an attribute of heaven – joy!
So when the days aren’t going so well, there is joy.
When the money doesn’t go as far as we need, there is joy.
When someone doesn’t like us, there is joy.
The joy of the Lord is our strength!
[clickToTweet tweet=” In this season of holidays, remember our joy is from the Lord. His joy is our strength!” quote=” In this season of holidays, remember our joy is from the Lord. His joy is our strength!”]
In this season of holidays, remember our joy is from the Lord. His joy is our strength!
About the Author:
Rachel Hauck is an award winning, New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author.
Her latest release, The Writing Desk, earned Top Pick from Romantic Times.
Rachel sits on the Executive Board for American Christian Fiction Writers, and is the comical sidekick to Susan May Warren at the amazing My Book Therapy. She is a worship leader and speaker.
A graduate of Ohio State University with a degree in Journalism, Rachel is a devoted Ohio State football fan. She lives in sunny central Florida with her husband and ornery cat.
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