The theme of our upcoming Poetry Jam is Unspeakable Joy! We are now just a few weeks away from our Poetry Jam and in light of that, every devotional leading up to the event will be on the subject of joy and each writer will offer their unique perspective on this fruit of the spirit. We continue today with Michelle-Irene.
“A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.” Proverbs 17:22 NKJV
Being a “baby-adult” is a daunting experience. The beginning of the adulting chapter begins at different times for everyone, but the value is the same across board: it’s when you recognise that there is a need that you have to meet by yourself. For me, it was several needs at once, especially as I was living across the world from my family and friends, and one that has cemented my foundation in my faith forever. When I had no one to turn to, or no contact offered to call, I remembered that before I was here, I was His, and His favour made way for me. It was not just the recipe for survival, but the belief paved way for me to thrive.
For me, one of the most difficult parts was recognition that there are rarely purely great days. I expected perfection from everyone and everything, including myself – so every time there was an anomaly, it meant that the day was entirely bad. As you can imagine, most days lacked joy, and honestly, begun to suck life out of me. The worst part was being in the midst of what Christians identify as a waiting season.
No day in a waiting season was enjoyable. It would be 24 hours of wondering when it would happen, worrying about what to do in lieu of the answer, pondering over why things were different for me, and God knows what else.
The cycle would only repeat the next day, and it would never end because I am always believing for something. There is always a waiting room.
I can testify that things look different for me now. I have discovered that life will happen. The promise of faith is not that everything will work out the way we desire it to, but rather that God is good, has good plans, and will get us through anything any tribulations (John 16:33; Romans 5:3-5). I find comfort in relinquishing control to a God that does all things, and that loves me dearly. The benefit of loving God is that I can have peace and faith where there seems to be less than enough. And this is where I find my joy.
I am sure there is an audience tired of hearing it, but it is a choice. Your circumstances may not be joyful, you may not be able to even theorise a way out of where you are, it may have been years, and years, of praying with what seems like no answer. But every day that you wake up, you must find joy somewhere. I don’t know what your miracle will look like, but I can guarantee that when things turnaround, you will be grateful for the times you chose to act like one that belongs to a God who turns rocks into pools of water (Psalm 114:8). The attack is your countenance in the storm, and not the storm itself – because after all, a broken spirit dries up the bones. I pray that the Holy Spirit strengthens you to find your merry, and for every day mercies on the way to your breakthrough.
