Tuesday, September 07, 2004

joy

most of my friends are struggling with various issues in their lives, feelings of insecurity, relationships, divorce, depression, finances, abuse, alcohol, etc. you name it and someone is struggling with it. mostly they don't want to talk about it. sharing their pain with others is hard. painful emotions surface and we would rather stuff them than have to deal with them. been there done that. i've lived through all these same issues and struggled to survive them.

and i have survived them because i have a loving God that wouldn't let me go. He believed in me when i didn't believe in myself, He carried me when i wasn't able to walk, He delivered me from guilt before i even knew Him, He has delivered me from shame, He has delivered me from worry, He has delivered me from all the burdens He never wants any of us to carry. and He has given me joy. incredible, amazing joy. having joy is hard when others are struggling. i have to contain myself. no one else feels it and i feel alone because i have no one to share it with.

two nights ago i was searching for a blog where i could tell someone, anyone, anonymously, how joyful i am, how loved i know i am because i have an awesome, intimate relationship with my heavenly Father. i wonder frequently why i am so blessed. i know in myself that i am not worthy of this awesome love but because i am His child He considers me worthy and i believe it. He fills my heart with His love and i am complete. i am so nothing without Him but i am everything with Him. i am loved, i am worthy, i am beautiful, i am valuable, i am a new creation in Christ. if God is "I AM" and He is loved, worthy, beautiful, valuable, in Christ and Christ is in us does it not make sense that we are.

ok i'm rambling but i just wish i could convince my family (new heights - that's you) that they are loved, worthy, beautiful, valuable and a new creation, complete in Christ.

4 comments:

Susy said...

you make it sound so easy... but it's not
not for me anyway

Erin said...

I thank you so much for your comment on my blog. I am trying to get where you are.

Please, please, please do not contain your joy!!! Don't you see... it is so easy to forget that it's out there when one's in the middle of pain. The joy of another is a reminder of God's grace and mercy, it is a reminder that "this too shall pass". On a hot day... I'll take splashes from someone else's swim!

Your joy is a gift to me... and I thank you for sharing it!!!

Susan Kirchmayer said...

yup susy - its not always that easy. but i find encouragement in knowing that many great people have struggled with this also. read david's psalms. he knew the dark places your heart can go. he knew that even in those dark places, God was with him. andthe prophets, they too struggled. God loves us even in the struggle. hold on to that. i have too many, many times......

Susan Kirchmayer said...

yup - susy. i know what you mean. its not always that easy. i take encouragement knowing that many great men of God have also had this struggle. read david's psalms. he knew the dark places the heart can go. but he also knew that God would not forsake him in those dark places. often my greatest lessons are learned while there.