This week the topic for the Five Minute Friday link-up post is Joy. What is a link-up? Essentially a link-up is when you join other bloggers and write on a similar topic. You share your blog posts with one another and begin conversations via a host site. You can head over to Kate Motaung’s page to check out other entries from inspired bloggers. Here’s my five minutes of uninterrupted, unedited writing on this week’s topic:
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” (James 1:2-3)
It’s been a week. Not one of those overly productive, exciting, or joyful weeks. It’s been a week of falling behind, hearing bad news, hurting for people I care for, and hurting for myself. At times I’ve been tempted (and even given into) the notion of closing myself off from the rest of the world, shutting off social media, and refusing to face the issues at hand. To be honest, it was absolutely wonderful, that is until my reintroduction to reality when I had to face it all again.
I don’t know if you’ve had a week like me, but I’m sure several of you reading my post have struggled a bit this week. It doesn’t make it easier that everywhere you go you are reminded that this is the “Most Wonderful Time of the Year…”
We’re human and part of that gig is that sometimes we hurt. We get wounded and we have emotions that get triggered. The world can be a place full of hurt, but one thing this world will never be able to take away from us is our joy.
If you click my link to Kate’s page above it will take you to an inspirational Guest post for the link up written by a man named Andrew who is literally on his deathbed writing about having joy in all circumstances. My struggles are nothing compared to this man’s, yet he’s the one who seems to have his perspective aligned. I’m so thankful that he chose to point his readers to James 1:2-3 today.
Joy is all about our perspective. If we choose to wallow in our pain and suffering then our joy will be stolen faster than an unlocked Lamborghini with the keys left in the ignition. Joy is remembering that the fight is not ours. We don’t possess the powers to defeat this world on our own, but when we enlist the power of the Almighty God who formed this world in the palms of his hand then we have the power to conquer the world thousands of times over.
Each time that we face a struggle we should look at it as an opportunity to learn more and grow closer to God. Our attitude should be one that says, “I may not understand right now, God, but please show me why I am going through this and teach me to have joy despite this pain.”
“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”(Psalm 30:5)
The Ameri Brit Mom
The Ameri Brit Mom 
Ooh Psalm 30:5 is one of my very faves!
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I have had one of those weeks, too. Enjoyed your post. Stopping over from FMF. I absolutely love this statement you made and will have to write it down to remind myself – “We’re human and part of that gig is that sometimes we hurt. We get wounded and we have emotions that get triggered. The world can be a place full of hurt, but one thing this world will never be able to take away from us is our joy.”
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I’m so thankful that He turns my mourning into dancing. Beautiful post. Stopping in from #10 at the FMF.
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“Joy is remembering that the fight is not ours. We don’t possess the powers to defeat this world on our own, but when we enlist the power of the Almighty God who formed this world in the palms of his hand then we have the power to conquer the world thousands of times over.” Amen, sister! Good stuff. Thanks for sharing! (FMF #52)
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