For the Joy!

Have you ever had to endure something that was hard knowing that it would be worth it in the end? Have you ever had to endure something hard not knowing how it would turn out in the end? The first two examples that pop into my head are exercising and pregnancy. I know that committing to exercise requires endurance and I also know that pregnancy requires endurance. Parenting requires endurance. Life requires endurance. We continually find ourselves in situations that require endurance because life is not easy. There are various seasons throughout each of our lives that call on us to endure something hard — even painful at times. Jesus demonstrated what it means to endure and also what to focus on during the hard, painful parts of life that require us to endure.

Hebrews 12:2 says “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Did you catch that line in the middle of the verse? Jesus endured the cross for the joy that was set before him. He endured it for you and for me. We are the joy that was set before him. He knew that he had to endure the cross in order to make a way for us to be forgiven. He was able to endure the excruciating pain because the joy at the end was worth it — we were worth it.

So, this makes me think of things in my own life that I have to endure and ask myself, “What is the joy in this?” Whenever we endure something, I believe that because of Jesus we can always find a “for the joy” moment to focus on. Take exercise for example. The joy would be a healthier body, more energy, it can reduce stress, lead to other healthy lifestyle choices, etc. Is exercise easy for everyone? No. Do people have to endure and push through pain and mental barriers in order to accomplish their fitness goals? Often times, yes. The people who focus on exercise, diet, healthy lifestyle choices, etc. and stick to it often have a goal that they are working toward. They are on a mission and there is a “joy” ahead that makes the pain worth it.

I think of parenting. There are some hard seasons in parenting — like really hard. There are different types of hard depending on the ages of your children and which season of life you find yourself in. There’s the hard of sleepless nights, not knowing what your child really wants/needs because you can’t understand them yet, the hard of discipline, the hard of watching them make mistakes, the hard of letting them become independent drivers, the hard of seeing them live differently than you raised them, and so on. There is SO much good and joy in parenting, but in the hard moments — that’s where you have to endure. You zero in and pray, trusting that God will grant you everything that you need to parent well through that season and you have to find the joy to stay focused. What is the joy you might ask? All the good. The success of your children, the lessons learned, the character built, the relationship with God that produces good fruit, the times they make you laugh, the times you witness growth, the hope of a prodigal returning home, and so on. There is so much joy to be found that we can hold on to during the times that require us to endure.

Life is filled with hard things. Death, diseases, loss, suffering, pain, heartbreak, evil, etc. We endure life because there is so much joy to be found even in the midst of the hardest moments of our lives. There is the hope of heaven which is enough to make enduring this world worth it. We were not created to experience death, suffering, disease, etc. That is all the result of sin. Life is so hard, but God is so good! There is more joy in the end for believers than we can even imagine and that is what allows us to endure all the hard, hard things this world throws at us.

Lastly, because it’s the thing that made me think to write about this, pregnancy. Pregnancy is such a beautiful gift and it’s so kind of God to bless a woman with the gift of a precious little one. It’s also hard — like really hard. I know that everyone’s experience is different and some women enjoy each part of pregnancy. As a mama who has experienced the heartbreak of a miscarriage, I appreciate all the parts of pregnancy and fully understand the gift, blessing, and miracle it is to carry a healthy baby full term; however, that doesn’t make the process easy for me. We recently found out that we are expecting again and we are thrilled to be blessed with another sweet baby due April 2023! We truly believe in Psalm 127:3 that says that children are a blessing and we are so grateful for a healthy pregnancy this far. Pregnancy, labor, and delivery is something that I have to endure. It is not easy for me and I do not like being sick, but I have been with each pregnancy and this one is no different. As I found myself in the bathroom for the fourth time in less than a 4 hour span with “morning” sickness (I will never understand why it’s called this when it happens at all hours of the day, but whatever), I had to keep telling myself that our sweet baby is worth all of it. All of the sickness, the stretchmarks, the exhaustion, the contractions, the delivery, the postpartum recovery — all of it. I will endure the hard for the joy set before me. I fully recognize that not all pregnancies end with a healthy, living baby. Our first pregnancy ended at 8 weeks and we don’t even know the gender of our first sweet baby. I know that many experience stillbirth, or carry babies that may not live more than hours or days after birth. In each of those instances of hard, I am grateful, as a believer, to have the hope of heaven! I learned so much from our miscarriage and it definitely shaped how I parent now. It was one of the hardest things that I’ve ever had to experience, but I’m eternally grateful to know that our sweet baby is with Jesus and that allowed me to endure and trust that God is good even when life is hard.

I could go on and on about this topic, but I’ll end for now. Abbie Halberstadt, author of the book “M is for Mama” has a mantra that is “Hard is not the same thing as bad” and I remind myself of that often. As we envision our lives with 3 children under the age of 3, we recognize that it is going to be hard; however, hard is not the same thing as bad and we are honored and grateful to God for entrusting us with another sweet baby to love and raise.

What is your “for the joy” moment in the midst of what you’re enduring?

Song of the week: This week I chose “I’m So Blessed” by CAIN. Enjoy!