It’s that time of year when Pandora is playing Christmas songs all day long in my house. The garlands are up giving me a twinkle and a flash. The manger scene displays its humble reverence on my mantle. The joy of the season is upon us!
Yet I’ve become painfully aware that this joyful time is not a reality for everyone.
I hear on the news about loved one’s lost in recent shootings. A child passing from this life too soon by an unforeseen accident. A call from a friend whose marriage is failing, with the added sting of a painful affair attached. Health issues, job losses, post-partum depression. Financial stress, panic attacks, fatigue that makes waking up each day strenuous. Life demonstrates clearly to me that seeking joy amidst dismal circumstances can be anything but easy to adhere.
Yet God’s word says that we are able to rise above our circumstances with a faith and trust that goes beyond just blind hope. A hope, trusting God to bring us joy, through His spirit working in us to be able to rise above our emotional state even when we feel stuck in those hollow places….
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