Choosing Joy

"But Mommy....I don't want to go to school. I just want to keep staying here, with you."
--Ethan

Ah, those words are hard for a Mommy to hear at the end of Christmas break! They tore at my already aching heart. I awoke this morning with a sense of dread about sending the boys back to school.  But, whether I liked it or not, it was up and out the door this morning, and back into "the grind".

A verse has been ringing through my mind with such repetitiveness this morning that I felt compared to share it. Psalm 118:24 says, "This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it."  

I remember, when I went to college at MBBC, we recited this verse every single day at the start of chapel. Only here is how we said it:

"This IS the day that the Lord has made; I WILL rejoice and be glad in it!"

Sometimes, many times, the rejoicing doesn't come so naturally to me. Sometimes, I find it so hard to praise God in my current circumstances.

• Lord, I am tired. I can't possibly be happy, waking up to a day with a mile long to-do list on such little rest.
• But I don't wanna send the kids back to school! I want them here, with me!
• Lord, the money is so tight. I can't be happy when there isn't more cushion, and a budget for eating out and doing "fun" things....
• I would be happier if Shane were home more, and not {seemingly} always working.
• Lord, my laundry pile is to the ceiling and the house is a wreck! I can't rejoice in this!

But the beauty is, we can. It is hard for most to view it this way, because we live in a society where everything is always someone else's fault, but joy is a choice! The scriptures might as well read, "I will CHOOSE to rejoice and be glad in this!"

Sometimes, I struggle with feeling menial. With feeling insignificant, being a homemaker. Staying at home, with Lola, making no income to report--and, in the eyes of the world, not really contributing to society. I'm not a teacher, or a doctor, or a business woman, doing great things for others and for our community. I just "stay home". I know there are others reading right now that understand that feeling. It can be very hard to find joy when you feel as though what you're doing doesn't really matter, in the scheme of things.

But no matter what task we are doing--minute or menial, in our own eyes--there is joy, if we allow ourselves to see it. There is meaning. There is significance. It is in Christ.

We can find joy in knowing that, if we are serving God with our whole heart, and doing our best for His glory, the task we are doing is significant. It does matter. He sees it. Even if no one else does.

I hope you are encouraged today. The joy is there.

Sometimes, it is just buried deeper under that pile of laundry than other days.....