Contemplating Joy

7 years ago, when we were expecting our 3rd child, we considered "Joy" as a middle name if we had a girl. September always marks the month that I start to think about the child we never brought home. I got pregnant in September 2002 although I had no idea, just thought I had a touch of the flu- but I finally found out I was 8 weeks pregnant on October 14 and then miscarried on October 17. And though I will never forget those days and weeks, I am thankful the sorrow has now been replaced by joy.

Now that I am yet again blessed to be pregnant - 22 weeks!! - I still love the thought of a baby girl with the middle name Joy. It goes with the many names we are thinking of for our little girl - Rebekah, Naomi, Miriam ... but more deeply, it describes the feeling I have when I consider what God has done for me, for us. (PS someone asked when my actual due date is - and it is somewhere between January 2-4, depending on what you go by). I just have to convince my husband to give this baby a double middle name since he promised his grandma that he'd use her name if we had a girl ...

Even before I ever thought I'd have another child, I realized at the beginning of last school year that I needed to find the JOY again - the joy of my Christian life. There is a long story behind the reasons I had become complacent and worn out and joyless during that time, but with help from my husband and a decision to change the way I thought about God and my life, I went on a quest to regain joy. I started by looking up every reference to the actual word JOY in the Bible and wrote the verses in my own Bible.

As a Christian, there is still JOY, even in tears and mourning. So, even during the darker years I experienced when nothing seemed to be going my way (only because I wasn't choosing to accept God's way), the joy of my salvation was still there; I had just buried it and wasn't relying on it. (Ezra 3:12-13 - joy mingles with tears and mourning). I also read in Job 20:5 that the hypocrite's joy does not last (very convicting!). Psalm 51 is all about the restoration of the joy of salvation after sin is forgiven!

There is joy in God's Word (Jer. 15:16), and one of my favorite verses says there is JOY and pleasure in God's presence and in His path (Ps. 16:11). Ecc. 9:7-9 says there is joy in marriage and in life and in working diligently - to me that means, joy in just daily life and tasks.

Joy can remain according to John 15:11 if we keep God's commands and realize God truly LOVES us. Paul's goal in Acts 20:24 was to finish his course with joy; it was what motivated him. Jesus even considered the cross as "joy" (Heb 12:2).

I Peter chapter 1 tells us that the trials we face will make us feel more praise and honor and glory when we finally see Jesus - whom we love even now before we have seen Him - and we continue to believe in Him which should cause us to "rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." (vs. 7-8)