Fresh Joy. Heidi McLaughlin

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      During my hikes, the landscape was usually breathtaking, but that day I was oblivious to the beauty—all I wanted to do was check “take walk” off my to-do list. Finally, I plugged into my cellphone, and the church service sounds erupted. The worship team opened with “Raise a Hallelujah,” and unprompted, my step quickened. I was bouncing. The music and song lyrics injected life, hope, and new energy, and I came alive with praise: my hands were in the air, and I was singing off-key. Tears streamed down my face as my heart overflowed with thanksgiving for the worship songs that opened my eyes and transformed my bland day into one of renewed awe of the majesty and beauty of God’s magnificent landscape. I was reminded that praise and thanksgiving invite the presence of God. They have the power to stop the enemy’s fiery darts and empower the spirit to rise above the drudgery of life to ignite new possibilities and spark joy—even if they don’t change the circumstance or scenery. Our thanksgiving and praise are like drops of water falling into an empty rain barrel to refill it and remind us of the Father’s love. They widen our understanding of the grace and freedom in Christ. We expect people, career positions, creative comforts, and adventure to give us joy, but these things mostly leave us gasping for air. We need to cultivate thanksgiving so we can have the pleasure of joy.

      Thankfulness Is a Superpower

      Ten years prior to Jack’s death in November 2016, God taught me the power of thankfulness. On September 12, 2010, six days before Jack and I were scheduled to speak at conferences in three different cities in Poland, Jack was diagnosed with gall bladder cancer. The surgeon’s explanation of the grim prognosis shook our world. The half-packed suitcases lying on our bedroom floor were a mocking reminder of how quickly life changes. Then there was the gripping angst of the prospect of becoming a widow for the second time. While Jack and I endured the seemingly endless doctors’ visits and wait times for x-rays, MRIs, and surgeon’s appointments, I desperately looked for hope and peace in God’s Word.

      Everywhere I turned in the Bible, I encountered verses on thankfulness. It was as though God illuminated the words and they jumped off the pages. I couldn’t get away from them. As I lingered over the verses, they infused me with hope and stirred up new energy.

      • “Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness” (Col. 2:7 NLT.)

      • “Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe” (Heb. 12:28 NLT).

      • “Let us come before him with thanksgiving. Let us sing songs of praise to him” (Ps. 95:2 NLT).

      • “The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving” (Ps. 28:7 NLT).

      Then the verse that rocked my world was “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess. 5:16–18). I’d seen this verse numerous times, but my soul’s vision had shifted. The words “for this is God’s will for you” shook me to the core, and I knew I needed to dig deeper. When I drill into new biblical territory, I start by studying the main word in the original Greek. “Joyful” is translated from chairete. The Greek root is often translated “to rejoice, be glad.”

      When I’m thankful and I turn my eyes toward Christ to ponder his love and goodness, my soul and my perspective shift to give me a revelation of something bigger than myself. Ellen Vaughn, in her book Radical Gratitude, expresses this so well: “It’s incredible: The small, compliant human action of saying ‘thank you’ constantly links us to the awesome Creator of the universe. In the practice of perceiving every part of every day as a gift from Him, we stay connected to Christ … as we thank God for His presents, we remain in His presence.”2

      This new insight was like a clearer pair of glasses, opening my eyes and heart to a hidden secret. My joy would return if I gave thanks. That’s all I wanted: simple joy.

      With all my heart I believed God’s Word to be true, and I cracked the first pages of my new “thankful journal.” To keep the concept simple and uncluttered, I numbered my entries and kept them to one line each. In the days after Jack’s collapse in the kitchen, during his time in ICU, and in the ensuing dark days around the funeral, I was determined to stay thankful. Here are some of my numbered entries from my thankful journal:

      2909. In the midst of ripping pain, I feel peace

      2910. Michelle dropped everything and flew in from Florida

      2911. Janice and Brendon were here in hours

      2915. People who bring coffee or tea

      2918. The way my children love me

      2919. Reading Jack’s prayer journal

      2920. People who bring food

      2923. Alex hugging me

      2924. Laughter in the midst of tears

      2929. Tim, who took over all the family responsibilities for the last two weeks

      2930. Our matching plaid shirts

      2934. Everyone went back home safely

      2936. Going on a walk with the boys

      2938. Reading hundreds of cards

      2942. Making it through my first church service

      2946. People who really care

      On May 6, 2019, I reached journal entry number 5,000. Looking back and reflecting over these words since Jack’s death, I was amazed that God’s command to be thankful is true: it restored my joy.

      Please don’t think for a moment that this came easily. For thanksgiving and joy to become a reality, I had to fight against my heart’s inclination to linger in pain, worry, and feeling lost or alone. It took deliberate choices to stop and number my thankfulness. In fact, it was so hard that three months after Jack’s death I crashed into a pit of darkness and was diagnosed with PTSD. There were days when all I could write was “I got out of bed today” or “today I put on some makeup and bought groceries.” I concur with David in the psalms: “Hour by hour I place my days in your hand” (Ps. 31:15 MSG). If we want joy, we must fight for it using a powerful tool available to all of us: the superpower of thankfulness.

      Thankfulness is a cultivated discipline that comes from the realization that God’s boundless grace does not entitle one to his blessing and joy, and it doesn’t mean I deserve it. But, as God’s adopted daughter and a recipient of God’s heavenly blessings, I need to turn to him and say thank you.

      Take Care of Your Heart

      To experience deep joy in any circumstance, we must prepare—by learning and cultivating—our soul for storms. Suffering and storms are normal, so, when these difficult times come, we must be ready. We can’t run a successful triathlon or climb Mount Everest unless we train; we won’t have a vibrant marriage unless we learn humility, forgiveness, and grace; and we won’t have a retirement fund unless we save and invest. When an unexpected storm blows in, how can we tap into deep joy if we haven’t invested in deep soul care? Let’s explore this further with a story wherein paying attention to details could have averted a huge disaster.

      It was a harrowing experience for 1,373 passengers and crew members of the Viking СКАЧАТЬ