Not much need for crucifying self today when it held warm weather, lots of sunshine, a hoilday, and the chance to visit  a greatly anticipated newborn church member. See? Nothing but joy and happiness in those photos! And I think it’s my favorite part of church ministry ~ getting to see the seasons and covenants of baptism and marriage in the lives of people from a front row seat.  Truly, I count it a blessing, a gift.

But the Joy Dare prompt for today is hard eucharisteos ~ gifts that are difficult to be thankful for.  Did you know that there were such things?  Well, there are, but sometimes you have to look from a different angle to see them, walk on new paths to find them.

My hard eucharisteos  ~ some always, some occasionally…

1. church ministry

I’ve always loved church and ministry, since I was a teen really, but sometimes the things that bring me the greatest joy and happiness also bring the biggest burdens and griefs, anxieties and frustrations. Ministry is sometimes hard to give thanks for, because of its emotional and financial strain, its time requirements, as well as that front row seat in people’s lives I mentioned above.  Sometimes that people part is really ugly, but I guess it also brings me to my next hard eucharisteo…

2. awareness of my sin

Ministry, parenting, marriage….heck, breathing ~ all wonderful opportunities to become aware of what’s really going on in my heart, and it’s just as ugly as what I oftentimes judge to be the state of other’s hearts. But this is actually an answer to prayer.  When I compare myself wrongly to others, sometimes I decide that I’m not in quite as much need of forgiveness as the next person.  Thankfully, the Holy Spirit makes me aware of this deception, this ploy to minimize grace and the sacrifice made on MY behalf.  When I minimize those things, I don’t worship rightly, don’t love fully, don’t forgive easily, but when I’m aware, by His grace gift, I am able to, which is where true joy is found.

3. navigating new parenting terrain

Oh, if I could just be in control everything would be perfect!  There would be no TV, arranged marriages, and read alouds by the hearth every evening (and Pa on his fiddle) (kidding) (sort of), but alas, it is a difficult world in which to control those things (And participation in and exposure to church ministry would definitely be out of the question. Too much worldly reality and lack of control there!) So, today I give thanks for the new terrain, but it is not easy.  In fact, it’s scary.  But it’s also an opportunity to trust, to pray, and to relate ~ with the Lord and my kids. It’s a chance to “cease striving and know that He is God.” (Ps. 46:10)

Hard eucharisteos, yes. But aren’t those the things James was talking about?

In fact, doesn’t he even go as far as to say that considering difficulty joy is equal to having wisdom? It is the very next verse…

As if not counting trials as joy is foolish.

Yes, this is hard, but it is also good.  Good that in His great grace He moves us to wisdom.  Good that He doesn’t allow us to remain foolish and miss out on knowing Him. Good that He prods us toward knowing true Joy. I am so thankful.