Of Birthdays and Joy

 Birthdays are a perfect occasion to spend time pondering...pondering what's ahead and what's behind.  Birthdays can be festive, full of excitement and partying! They can also be melancholic, lonely and filled with worry.  As most things in life, it comes down to a choice: what do I want my attitude to be in my birthday, a positive or a negative one? 

I know, sometimes we find it very difficult to believe that we do have a choice as to what attitude we have when approaching something challenging.  We get so caught up in our circumstances that we don't see how it could be possible that we can choose.  We feel as if we have no say in the matter.  I know.  The reason I know is because that's how I've lived most of my life...thinking I have no choice...thinking that my attitude is determined by my situation.  But, is it?

We are called to be people of joy.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Philippians 4: 4

When are we supposed to rejoice?  ALWAYS!  Not just when things are going well.  Not just when circumstances are right.  ALWAYS...and Paul repeats it:  A.L.W.A.Y.S.

And where do we find this joy?  In His Presence!

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

In Him we find the kind of joy that will lead us to have the right attitude in every situation.  Because it is only in Him, in His Presence, that we will have the peace that surpasses all understanding and that is linked to overflowing joy.  And the right attitude is exactly that: peace and joy in the Lord!

I know it is hard to find that kind of joy.  And the reason it is hard is because we don't seek Him First.  We don't make it our job to seek His Presence as the main goal of our lives.  I know I don't.  I am too busy with life to seek the Fountain of Life.  That's the absurdity of who I am.  I am so worried about the material life that surrounds me, that I don't dedicate the time I ought to, to seeking a stronger connection with the spiritual realm.  And because my connection with the physical world is stronger than the one with the eternal...I am too sensitive to every little thing that happens...every thing that sways the world affects me.  Whereas, if I were more intentional about strengthening my links to the spiritual, the eternal truth of God's presence would keep me steady.

Today, I choose to have an attitude of joy.  I choose to let go and let God...if only for today.  Tomorrow will bring its own challenges.  For now, I stand in Him, and I remember that: 

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118: 24