Rejoice Always
I’d like to start with a few questions for you to think about.
“Does your faith excite you? Does your walk with Jesus radiate joy?”
- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus"
I love this verse because it is so full of positivity, full of hope, full of gratitude. It really speaks to God wanting us to be joyful, to be happy. But the sticking point for me in this verse are three little words tucked in there: always, continually, and all.
When my son announced to me in 2015 that he had just enlisted in the army and would be leaving in 8 weeks, I did not thank God. Nor did I thank God when he explained to me that he had enlisted as Infantry, to be on the front line. Remember that in 2015, we were still at war in Afghanistan. I think my first thought was actually, “Dear God, why??” But as I listened to his reasons, saw the hope in his eyes, I simply said, “Okay. If this is what you want, I’m proud of you.” I realized that I was only a temporary caretaker of him. Yes, I am his mother, but he was and is God’s child first. God had entrusted him to me for 18 years, and now I had to let go and trust God with him. I also realized that I had raised a young man that believed there are things greater than himself – things worth fighting for, things worth protecting. Even with his own life. How could I fault him for that?
"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus"
And so, for the next 8 and half years, I prayed continually. And I watched him grow into the man I had always hoped he would become. And I rejoiced at his successes, and I gave thanks to God for keeping him safe.
When my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, I did not rejoice. I was scared, I was angry, and I could not possibly understand why such an awful disease would happen to such a wonderful woman. How could a loving God allow her such a horrible fate? But over the next few years, I found myself seeking out more opportunities to spend time with her, to talk with her, take her places. Mostly, I found myself appreciating her and her stories so much more than I ever had, even while watching her slip away from me more and more at every visit. We finally moved her to a Nursing facility in December of 2019, knowing full well it was where her journey would end. With each trip to see her, I became less and less sure that she knew who I was, but I still knew her. I didn’t give thanks to God. I didn’t rejoice. On March 9, 2020, I went to visit her. She was more lucid than she had been in weeks. We talked and laughed and had a great visit. When she became tired and sleepy, I decided it was time to go. I leaned in, and wrapped my arms around her. I squeezed as hard as I could, kissed her on the cheek, and said, “Bye, mamma, I love you.” Without missing a beat, she said, “I love you, too, Jude.” In that moment, I did rejoice, I gave thanks for the visit, for the laughter, for her smile, and most importantly, for the acknowledgment of my name. She hadn’t called me by name for quite a while and I didn’t know if she still remembered it. And then I prayed, all the way home, that those words would be the last words I heard form her.
"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus"
Three days later, the nursing home went into lockdown and I never saw her again. And I do rejoice and give thanks that God heard my prayers that day and said yes. That moment of closure has been such a gift, and I know that God knew how much I was going to need it.
Last summer when Neil was diagnosed with Stage 3 Esophageal Cancer, again I did not rejoice. I did not give thanks. We had just bought our house and were starting our life together. It was absolutely crushing. I had my Lt. Dan moment of being angry with God. How could He do that to us? Why now? But then I felt an overwhelming peace envelope me and I knew God had it. In the morning, I told Neil it was all good, God had it and everything would be okay. He asked me if I’d had a ‘Come to Jesus’ with God. I told him that God had a come to Jesus with me and reminded me:
"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus"
We began our mantra that would carry us through the next few months: We’re already healed, we just need to go through the process. And as each week of chemo and radiation brought us closer to the end, without any real side effects, we were able to walk and live in our faith. We were able to be the salt and light that we are called to be. We rejoiced, we gave thanks, and we continued to pray without ceasing.
I am going to close with a verse from my favorite book of the Bible, James 1:2-3.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”
We all face trials, some big, some small, every single day. But when I remember to lean into my faith, to rejoice that I worship a big God, and that His will over my life has never let me down….well, now THAT gets me excited! That brings me joy! And it reminds to pray without ceasing that His will be done in my life.
And if you need a reminder about how much joy there is in being a child of God, look at the face of someone coming up out of the water when being baptized. I have the video of my baptism from 2 years ago. I was absolutely over the moon and my face was radiating! I think that’s the kind of pure joy that God is talking about when He says:
"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus"
Amen.
