I've made a decision. It's been a long hard road for me and my canister of chocolate chips, but I've finally come to the conclusion that joy...real joy...has nothing to do with chocolate. It's a choice; simply a choice.
That thought twirled around and around in my brain the other night. Our ladies' group at Selma Baptist was having a meeting and there were so many women in attendance that the owner of the home ran out of seats for everyone. So I squeezed my way into the dining room, found a comfortable spot against the wall, sat down and stretched out my aching leg.
It was actually kinda nice - being on the floor. I was hidden from most of the crowd, which afforded me the opportunity to really focus on what was being said, instead of focusing on what I looked like while my friend said it! I closed my eyes, many times, confessing my own ungratefulness of the day...confessing my own lack of true thankfulness for all the Lord has done for me, to me and in me.
As this beautiful lady spoke of being diagnosed with cancer and the treatments that followed, you could feel the whole room hanging on her every word. Ginger Smith told us stories of how God had intricately woven her life together and how He had ministered to her over and over again the last couple of years. She told us how the prayer blanket that the ladies' group had given her had touched not only her life, but the lives of those around her in the treatment center. She talked about how cold it gets sometimes when she takes off her wig and how funny it is when people comment on how good her hair looks, thinking she's gotten it trimmed.
We all just sat there...listening...sympathizing...rejoicing in her life. And as we sat there, we could sense (at least I think I wasn't the only one) that there was something truly different about this lady. It wasn't her cancer...many people have that. It wasn't her chemo treatments or even her wig. I have to say, the thing that grabbed most of us by the throat and shook us to tears had nothing to do with THINGS, with the circumstances of a hard life. Instead, it had everything to do with Jesus and what He can do in the life of one of His kids who has chosen to NOT take every day for granted...who has chosen to NOT accept anything less than joy...who has NOT chosen to let something as heartbreaking as cancer, break her spirit.
Oh that I would be more like my friend and every day make the determination in my heart that "This is the day the Lord hath made. We (I) will rejoice and be glad in it." (Ps. 118:24)
Lord, help me do that today and everyday for the rest of my life...to CHOOSE to find joy in my day...purpose in my heart to seek it out...simply because it is the day You have given, and I should choose to rejoice in it.
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