"Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you; now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive and your joy will be complete." ~John 16:20-24
With Christmas comes so much joy and yet for many, Christmas also brings sorrow. To have joy in trials and suffering is not to deny the pain that comes with it. It is realizing that we can have both. As the verse tells us...with the birth of a child comes pain, but with the birth of the child there is joy in thinking of what is to come.
Joy is a choice.
We can choose to live in an attitude of anger, sorrow and fear or we can choose to pursue the joy of Christ! It starts with trusting in a God who promises He is always with us and loves us! When our focus turns to gratitude, we will find JOY.
As my mom always told us ... "An attitude of gratitude can go a long way."
Pre-order Sara's book, Choose Joy: Finding Hope and Purpose When Life Hurts today on Amazon, Barnes and Noble or Family Christian.
Have a blessed week!
Laura