Wonderful Joy Ahead

Daily Gratitude Year 6- Day 146: Today, I am grateful for the wonderful joy ahead.

This is a season of celebrations beginning with Mother's Day and sailing through graduations, weddings and anniversaries for so many... all before Father's day arrives. Matt and Jennifer mark twenty-five years of marriage ... and Chase and Emma will celebrate their first. Many others share the popular Memorial Day weekend, depending on their year of marriage. 

The weekend brings joy... and a few tears as we remember the many who have gone out in service to our country and return with their bodies blanketed in the American flag, a sincere and warm reminder that they gave their lives in love of country and home. 

For me, there is a reverence in an honor guard salute, the bugle's mournful tune and the presentation of the folded flag that is very personal, as we have walked that path. As we see the flags flying this weekend, it is good to remember that there are mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, grandparents, fiances, cousins and so many more that feel the loss of an empty place at the table and every family gathering after that day of notification that a loved one has died while in active service.

For the believer, we can take heart and find peace in knowing that "there is wonderful joy ahead." 

"So be truly glad.There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world." -1 Peter 1:6-7

Be truly glad... sounds like a strange instruction for those who suffer or grieve. When the tough times come... and they will... our facing our trials with trust and hope are not only evidence of our faith, but they result in us growing stronger and more fierce in our convictions that God is good ... even when life doesn't feel that good. 

I can not think of one scripture that tells us to trust our feelings. Scriptures guide us "to know" that he is God. Scriptures remind us we do not have to be ruled by our emotions. We can choose joy and hope, even in suffering. We can... with his strength... experience tough emotions and choose to trust his heart when his ways seem hard to understand. His big picture is huge. Our short stories are ... well... short. But he lives big in our lives... even in... especially in the hard times. 

Savor the weekend celebrations. Cherish the memories of those who gave all that we might be protected and free. Choose joy knowing that Jesus sacrificed all that we might be redeemed, adopted and free. 

Today, I am grateful for the wonderful joy ahead.