One of the things I really like about this blog is that I decided to go against the grain and not capitalize all the words in titles on anything except the monthly articles. I have no idea why I capitalize them. In my mind they are more officially writing, I guess. Truth be told, I have no idea why I have even kept this blog. It has been fruitful in odd and unexpected ways, but it is certainly not something I ever planned on doing. Now it is just a rhythm in my life. Something I do until Jesus tells me to stop.
The last few months, and particularly the last few weeks, joy has been rising in me. Unexplainable, irrepressible joy. Well, actually it is pretty easy to explain. I have the Holy Spirit in me, so it makes sense that I have a lot of joy. What about all the times that the Holy Spirit has been in me when I haven’t had joy? Maybe I will answer that question next week.
I am not even sure why my joy has become so uncontainable in the last few months. Sometimes I can be talking about the hard and painful things in my life with a big smile on my face. It’s not a fake smile either. It is one I can’t contain. I don’t always smile. That would be weird. Paul was a much more mature follower of Christ than I am, and he often did things with tears. It is okay to do some things with tears. It is okay to cry from the deepest place within us. Just like it is okay to laugh and sing from the deepest place within us. It is getting to the deepest place within us that can be tricky.
A few weeks ago, I was preparing for my day and I began to pray in tongues. As I did so, I sighed in my soul (mind, will, emotions) knowing I longed to sing in my spirit again though I had not done this in many years beyond perhaps a few phrases and had never done it well or freely. The answer I received from God to my longing was an immediate, “Well, do it!” So I opened my mouth and I sang.
And I have kept singing and singing and singing. It is good to praise Jesus from the deepest place within me. When my spirit is lifted, it is so much easier to lift my soul. I have even begun to use some time I otherwise have allocated to the renewing of the mind (time in Scripture) to simply praying and praising Him in my spirit and my soul. It is a very beautiful thing. One which is not about me but Him though there are definitely many rewards for me in spending time in His presence and praising Him!
It makes sense that there are may rewards because the only way to heal and become like Him is to receive His love and worship Him for it. I was created for His glory and to worship Him. It makes sense that I become whole while doing so. The deepest parts of my being long to worship only Him. It is all this crud on the surface that keeps getting in my way.
I know there are seasons in life; and if this only lasts for a season, I will definitely greatly miss it. It is a beautiful season, one that will be cherished for years. Sweet communion with Him is good. Contentment in Him is good. I can’t imagine that it is in His will for this to last but a season. Am I not to mature even more fully into it?
Have you ever gone through a season of irrepressible joy? Until now, I really haven’t. Do you know what is blocking the joy in your life and how you might remove these obstacles? As of right now, next week I plan on writing about the obstacles that were removed from my life. We’ll see…
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