Fresh Joy. Heidi McLaughlin

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СКАЧАТЬ in this case, with waves up to eight metres high smacking the ship, the engines were disabled when they ran out of lubricating oil to keep the engines running. After suffering a power blackout, the Viking Sky sent out a mayday call. The Associated Press reported that “passengers [recalled] a large wave crashing through glass doors and knocking people across the floor of an area where they were instructed to gather as a muster point.” The waves were too high to evacuate the ship by rescue boats, so five helicopters evacuated 479 passengers, winching up passengers one by one as winds howled in the dark night. After the storm, the ship travelled to a Norwegian port under its own power.3

      This is a victorious end to a disaster story, but I can’t imagine being a passenger on a gorgeous luxury cruise liner tossed around in heavy seas due to engine failure caused by a lack of oil. Wow, all this unnecessary angst and extra cost because someone forgot to check the oil levels. Paying attention to details could have averted a huge disaster.

      To prepare for ensuing storms—and they will come—we must have a settled assurance that God is on our side, he is a good God, and he wants us to live out our very best life. We must learn to trust his word: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31). In her book Choose Joy, Kay Warren simply states,

      When your heart does not see the goodness of God, you’re not going to say thank you to him. You’re not going to experience joy because you’re putting your energy into what you don’t have, what you don’t like about your life, what you wish was different. You ignore all that God has already done and will continue to do in your life.4

      The Norwegian luxury ship encountered an avoidable disaster because the crew workers in charge of the engine were unprepared. Inattentiveness leaves us wide open to unnecessary pain.

      After my first husband, Dick, died, my friend Darlene and I had a raw conversation about how we learn to cope when disaster strikes. She openly admitted, “Heidi, if something like that ever happens to me, I hope I have the deep faith that you do.” Not long after this conversation, her daughter died suddenly while asleep. My friend had not taken the time to nurture her heart and build her faith. She was left bereft, floating aimlessly and helplessly. Too often people tell me, “I really want to read my Bible and learn to pray, but I just don’t have the time.” My question to you is, When will you have the time? Will you have time after the disaster strikes? To find abiding joy during any circumstance or storm, we must learn to prepare.

      Throughout the Bible, the metaphor of oil represents the work of the Holy Spirit and God’s power. To get ready for our storms, we must soak ourselves in this oil, and it starts by taking care of the most important aspect of our being—our heart. The Bible tells us, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Prov. 4:23). Here are six ways to get started:

      • Invite the Holy Spirit to inhabit every part of your spirit to help you discern God’s truth versus Satan’s insidious lies.

      • Read the Bible and memorize key verses to be your anchors and reminders of God’s goodness when your world falls apart.

      • Learn to trust God by communicating with him through prayer.

      • Joy is like a muscle we need to exercise. Learn to cultivate a thankful heart. Gratitude produces more emotional energy than any other attitude. Grateful people are the happiest and most content people I know.

      • Join a Bible study group and connect to like-minded people who are also on a quest to find spiritual strength and power.

      • Study the work of the oil of the Holy Spirit.

      Then stand amazed at the unexplainable work of the Holy Spirit, who lives within you to give you power to overcome the difficult seasons in your life. Our awesome God wants to be your helper and to guide you through every storm. It doesn’t mean you won’t feel excruciating pain, disappointment, rejection, or failure. But it does mean you don’t have to walk through the storms alone. You’ll have someone interceding for you, strengthening you, giving you hope, and reminding you of your purpose and ability to unleash the beautiful fruit of the spirit—the fruit of joy.

      Cindy Keating:

      Bad News Blues and Celebrating Everything

      Cindy Keating is a friend I meet for coffee every couple of months to share the ups and downs of being an author. When she shared her story of 47 book proposal rejections, I was blown away by the way she handled it. Here are her words:

      It was a simple challenge, or so I thought. My theme word for the year had sparked a practical idea for a way for my family and me to celebrate our simple life moments together throughout the year. “We’ll light a sparkler,” I said. “We’ll talk about all the things that happen so we can decide together what to acknowledge as extra special. This will be a good way for us to celebrate the things that are meaningful to each of us in different ways.”

      “But what kinds of things should we notice?” my eldest asked.

      “Anything!” I replied. “We can celebrate how hard you studied for a spelling test. We can celebrate the completion of one of your piano pieces. We can celebrate how kind you were to a friend at school or how respectful you’re being to your teacher. It can be anything!” Everyone was on board. I knew it was going to be a great learning opportunity for all of us.

      The email opened with “Dear Cindy, I’m sorry to say”—and my heart sank. I closed my computer immediately and didn’t even bother reading the rest of the email because I knew what it would say. This was my forty-seventh rejection. All rejection emails were the same, and even though I thought I was used to the dismissals, for some reason this one still stung.

      As I sat there discouraged, contemplating what to do next, a sparkler flashed through my mind. With God’s perfect timing, I knew exactly what to do. I marched upstairs.

      “Boys, we’re lighting a sparkler for Mommy’s book!” I exclaimed.

      “What? Are you serious? Has an agent contacted you?” my husband enthusiastically asked.

      “Does someone like your book, Mommy?” my youngest squealed as he jumped around the kitchen.

      “Good job, Mommy!” my eldest piped in while flinging open the cupboard to find a sparkler. I quieted them and motioned for them to sit down at the kitchen table. Then I proceeded to tell them what had happened. Naturally, my husband was sad for me, but my kids? Their confused expressions were priceless. “You want to celebrate your rejection?” they sang in unison. I was second-guessing the idea, but I knew it was a teachable moment too beautiful to ignore.

      “Sometimes celebrating the meaningful things in our lives won’t always involve happy emotions,” I explained. “Mommy’s not happy she got rejected. In fact, I’m sad that the journey is taking longer than I thought, and I’m realizing how hard the road really is. But I am happy that I can come upstairs, tell you guys how I feel, and know that, no matter what any agent says or thinks about me as a writer, you guys will still love and support me. I think that’s something worth celebrating, don’t you?”

      The conversation that followed brought tears to my eyes. This simple challenge, which we started as a family a few short months ago, had suddenly turned into a deeply touching and profoundly moving journey about true joy and the power of celebrating all moments in our lives.

      “Okay, I know!” offered my eldest. “We can celebrate how hard you’ve been working for these agents.”

      “And we can celebrate how kind and respectful you’re being even СКАЧАТЬ