“Joy to the fishes in the deep, blue sea; Joy to you and me.”

By Lani Cole-Mitchell
I can’t believe it is September. SEPTEMBER?! Wasn’t it just March last week? I joke, but in all seriousness, it’s been 5 months since the world was turned upside down. The sunrises and sunsets weren’t put on hold. We’ve seen spring and summer, and fall will be here in a few short weeks. Time continues to pass. 
As our state starts to re-open and folks start to go back to modified work schedules, I’ve seen posts where people have gone back to work and their calendars on their desks were still in the month of March. Our kids and their teachers are facing new educational challenges as the school year starts up. It’s obvious there is a significant change in the air, and not just a change in season.
With change comes fear, anxiety, uncertainty of the unknown. Change can be quite terrifying, but it can also be something unexpectedly amazing. Within our lives, change has the unique ability to take those fears and uncertainties, and mold it into an experience that can bring joy. Wait! Did she just say fear can bring joy? Yes I did!
See, we have this amazing God who loves us so much that he sent his Son to die for us. He suffered on a cross for our sins so that we may be free. That love that God has for us is unbreakable. No matter how many times we make mistakes. No matter where we are in our lives, He meets us exactly where we need to be met. Jesus’ death was painful and fearful. The disciples had so many questions and did not know what to do or where to turn. They were scared for their own lives! Then, three days later, Jesus rose from the dead….JOY! Of course there were a lot of questions at first, but ultimately, there was joy - knowing that our Savior lives!
There is a song by Jesus Culture that is based on Psalm 30. The lyrics jumped out at me as I was praying over what to write this week:
You stay the same through the ages 
Your love never changes.
There may be pain in the night,
But joy comes in the morning!
God’s love is faithful. It is never-ending. It is always true and it always will be.
So, the question is: how do we make it through all of the uncertainty, anxiety and fear? The easy answer is trust, but it’s also not as easy as it is written. Trust that God is with you and has your back. When you’re in the thick of feeling every emotion that goes along with change and transition, trusting God is easier said than done. I am guilty of it myself. When I am feeling anxious and not trusting God as I should, I try to find a quiet place and breathe deeply for a few minutes. Then, I simply pray. It’s nothing elaborate or special - just a simple prayer: “God, you know me. You know I am scared of this situation. I’m grateful for your love and I know you are here with me. I ask for eyes to see the bigger picture, ears to hear your words, and an open heart to fully trust you in this. Help me to embrace the fear and to find peace and joy in this moment. Amen.”
What is something else you can do, while trusting God, to ease the anxiety when fear seems much bigger than the joy? 
I leave you this week with a poem I came across from author and poet, Morgan Harper Nichols. 
You will find
unanswered questions
probing at you
through the night.
You will wake up
and find that flowers
still bloom
In morning Light.
You will find room in life
for many dances
between how things are
and how they could be.
You will find the urge 
to uncover what is hidden
and learn the ways
of every little thing.
And you will all learn
the sacred work
of surrender
happens in a daily letting go,
softening your grip
on needing to know,
letting every hour be
what it needs to be.

 - Morgan Harper Nichols
I pray this week, friends, that you find joy in the fear and trust that God’s got you. Always.

No Comments