First Thankful Thursday (on a Friday...)!
Where should I begin? This week has been challenging and wonderful, and I'm sure many of you can relate. Between the late nights/early mornings of nursing a three-month-old bundle of joy, the part-time job slinging coffee, the sweet moments spent with my hubby, the marathon feeding sessions during the day, and so many other things, I am left with the impression that this week has been "hard but good." I don't know how often you find yourself expressing this sentiment, but it is frequently on my lips these days.
As I considered my topic for this first "Thankful Thursday" post -- although I am technically publishing it on a Friday -- a concept came to me, one that I need to remember on a more consistent basis. I don't recall when I first started practicing it, but this idea will radically alter the quality of your day-to-day motherhood.
It is the idea of choosing joy.
Now, I've never been much of a sentimentalist. I definitely feel nostalgic, on occasion, and I do keep personal notes for an inordinately long period of time, especially if they hold uniquely beautiful thoughts from a difficult season. So please don't hear me the wrong way when I talk about choosing joy. It isn't a trite, catchy concept that is meant to make you feel bad when you aren't overwhelmed with positivity about your day (or your week or your month...).
But I have found that it helps to lift me up on the toughest days, when I can't seem to catch a break, my beautiful boy woke up crying at three in the morning and I feel totally fried, and there is now both pee AND spit up on my work clothes, a mere ten minutes before I have to leave. Or other things. You can probably insert your own stress-producing scenario here.
When I face these challenging moments, even if they are much longer than moments, I often have two choices.
First, I could choose to gripe, complain, and feel ill-used. I'm sure you all know what I'm talking about. I can sit and stew in that rough moment, thinking to myself, "Why is it always me who has to do this or that? Why does this always happen to ME?" There is only one invitation to this pity party, and it has my name on it in big, bold letters.
My second choice, though, is to look that moment straight in the (metaphorical) eye and say, "You know what? I feel so blessed to have a healthy baby. I am thankful for this hectic day because it is teaching me to trust God, especially when I don't have the mental energy to make it work on my own."
Unlike happiness, which is largely based upon our circumstances, joy is a choice. You decide to be joyful and to find the opportunity for gratitude in your day. But we can't choose joy on our own, especially with our limited emotional and mental resources.
I love the way King David expresses it in Psalm 16...
"You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore" (Psalm 16:11 ESV, emphasis mine).
In this psalm (song), David discusses his reliance on God and how his relationship with God informs his entire identity. Because of God's character and nature, David receives the power and the ability to experience joy. In God's presence, "there is fullness of joy."
How many of my days are improved when I seek God's presence -- through prayer and reading my Bible -- and allow him to renew me with the joy that He provides, rather than looking at all the negative things and sulking? I could definitely afford to choose joy more frequently, and I am always glad when I do.
Well, there you have it! I hope your heart is encouraged, dear reader, and I lift my (reheated) coffee mug to you! May God be your strength today as you finish out the week. Have a joy-filled weekend, and I will see you back here next Friday for the beginning of my series on parenting a newborn.
Soli Deo Gloria
- Mama Smith
Stock image from Pexels.com
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