Rejoice

Spring is in the air and Mother’s Day is just around the corner. For someone who has not only lost her mother, but also her role model, Mother’s Day can be tough. My mother would be very upset if she thought there was a tinge of sadness in me; nevertheless, that feeling invades me at times. When it does, I choose to make them short lived and I choose to rejoice in the present. The Bible says, “Rejoice always . . . in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus,” 1 Thessalonians 5:16, 18. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice,” Philippians 4:4. Sometimes it is not easy to rejoice or to give praise to the Lord, but that doesn’t change the command.

One of the many things I have learned from the Apostle Paul’s life is that he knew how to rejoice through difficult times. Rejoicing is praise. Rejoicing is thanking God that He is in control of our lives, even though it may seem that He’s not. The best thing to remember is if your heart is fixed on an attitude of rejoicing, nothing can stand in your way.

How can you keep your heart fixed on an attitude of rejoicing? One of the easiest ways is to write down everything that makes you rejoice. Here’s what I focus on:

A good laugh
My children’s laughter
A date with my husband
Smell of freshly cut grass
Sitting on the beach
The birds chirping
Being outside right before a summer storm
When something good happens to someone
When prayer is answered
A moving time of worship
A God who loves me despite me

My list keeps growing… We have so much to be thankful for, so Rejoice!

PS: Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms. I’m a mom and just that makes me want to rejoice!