I Count It All Joy

A new chapter in my life begins today, the anniversary of my birth. It is therefore necessary that I pause to reflect upon this past year.

For me, the intervening year between the last and this one has been a buffet of different experiences. It has consisted of both blessings and burdens, delight and depression, ecstasy and agony, healing and hurt, plenty and poverty, success and failure, triumphs and temptations. But, through it all God has been good to me.

After looking back and cataloging my cares, enumerating my difficulties, adding up my victories, listing my heavy loads, summing up my successes and tallying up my trials, it all equaled great joy. Somehow, God took my troubles and transformed them into testimonies. He took my pains and replaced it with perseverance. He took my fears and strengthened my faith. He took my tears of hurt and turned them into tears of joy. Yes, when I calculated all the good, the bad and the ugly, it still equaled great joy.

James, the brother of Jesus begins his book with a stunning command. He says: Brothers and sisters count it all joy whenever you face trials of many kinds. This is interesting because inherent in the advice in the need for us to be able to count. All Christians has to be able to count because God has incorporated counting as an integral part of His plan for the development of discipline and discipleship. So He tells us that we need to count and not only count but count it all.

It is in the all that we find deliverance. It is not counting only the blessings and victories, but we must also count the bad and the ugly; counting it all totals up to joy.

Now, here is the catch. Counting, in the context of our faith, does not start until troubles come. Actually, it can be likened to boxing. The referee does not start counting until the boxer falls. It is the fall that begins the count. This is important to understand because God's joy cannot be experienced any other way.

We may not want to acknowledge it or even desire it, but every Christian needs a trial or two. Every child of God needs sprinklings of tribulations. Every believer needs to experience the fiery furnace and the lion's den because that is when you begin to understand how God operates. That is when you begin to perceive how evil and good work together for your joy. Paul declared: "All things work together for the good to them that love the Lord and are called according to his purpose"? You will note that he also included that significant word, all. It is not just the good or the bad; it is the good AND the bad. When combined the result is joy, joy, joy.

Now, it must be understood that joy is a process and not a destination. We are constantly growing, changing, evolving, developing joy every day. It cannot be made, created, bought or sold because it comes from God. Joy is not parading around pretending to be happy when you know you are not, thinking that is the way Christians should present.

Joy is not instantaneous or immediate. It is not feeling giddy, silly or happy, as it were. Joy is much more profound. Joy is the product of pain and troubles. It is the result of suffering and distress. Joy is intrinsically connected with what you have been through or what you are going through. Joy is the outcome of faith and patience. It is a supernatural portion of God's peace and strength. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy does come in the morning.

I have learned that if you can pray it through, God will see you through. But do not start counting too soon. Remember, the count really starts when you fall into difficult circumstances. Then start counting:

1? The crises come.

2? What do you do?

3? You want to flee.

4? No escape door.

5? Will you survive?

6? You pray, "God please fix."

7? You hear from heaven.

8? God said, "Wait."

9? Here comes True Vine.

10? JOY WITHIN!

11?

Thank God in heaven.

Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, veteran social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach which can be reviewed on her site. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: My Grief Management Workbook, is expected to be available soon.

You are welcome to visit amen ministries: your soul's service station for spiritual refreshing, soul edification, browse our newly expanded mini shopping mall or review our recommended books you may want to add to your personal library.

Blessings to all!

shuttle to Midway Beardstown .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare

In The News:

The FBI has issued a warning that scammers are impersonating doctors, police and banks using spoofed numbers as "smishing" texts surge nationwide.

Communities with unreliable internet service stand to gain after Amazon's Project Kuiper launched its first full batch of satellites into orbit April 28.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says unsubscribing from spam might actually backfire. Learn when to avoid it and stop junk effectively.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about how the first nonstop beating heart transplant, called zero ischemic time, at Taiwan hospital changes surgery.

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson: FBI warns of "time-traveling" hackers.

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about a soft, vine-like robot called SPROUT that aids safe survivor rescues in collapsed buildings.

Health insurance giant Blue Shield of California confirmed it had been sharing private health data of 4.7 million users with Google for three years without even realizing it.

Delta and JetZero’s blended wing body aircraft marks a meaningful step toward a cleaner, quieter and more efficient future for air travel.

Recent reports show many common passwords can be cracked in literally seconds. Kurt the CyberGuy explains how to strengthen your passwords.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Iron, a robot that stands 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs 154 pounds, combines advanced artificial intelligence with human-like movement and exceptional vision.

Hertz, the rental car giant, recently confirmed that customer information was exposed through a cyberattack on one of its software vendors.

There are a number of features with AirPods you may or may not know about to take your listening experience to the next level. Kurt the CyberGuy explains.

These 35 Chrome extensions have privacy and security concerns. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says to delete them now.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says 329,000 mph fusion rocket promises to be fast, disruptive and enable deep-space missions.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says a new autonomous AI is a game changer that also raises privacy risks. Is your data safe?

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says robots and drones are revolutionizing fruit farming with faster picking and smarter handling.

Landmark Admin revises May 2024 cyberattack scope to show twice as many people were affected. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson gives tips to help stay safe from an insurance data breach.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about how Yamaha’s hydrogen outboard motor could revolutionize boating with zero emissions.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals how to memorialize or remove a deceased loved one’s Facebook account and protect their digital legacy from misuse or scams.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says an Apple Watch saved psychiatrist Amanda Faulkner by detecting deadly leukemia early.

Scammers and fraudsters are increasingly targeting the most vulnerable, especially nursing homes and the personal data of their residents. Kurt the CyberGuy has safety tips.

Infected USB flash drives can spread malware among multiple organizations in ways that can easily bypass traditional security systems.

With a fully automated warehouse system and AI-powered robots, Ocado's Hive picks, packs and delivers grocery store orders in just a few minutes.

I Count It All Joy

Spirituality