Our choice in joy and grief

And this is our ragged, fleshly life – tragedy and grief bookended at both sides by delightful joy and visions of felicity. We encounter the deepest delight, followed by profound tragedy, and then later, if we have adequately leaned into the grief, we might discover divinely appointed hope, for those of us who are in Christ. Of course, without the depth of pain surrounding the magnitude of defeat and pain, we could never experience the most glorious joy. And we balance upon a great divide, never far from either spectrum of emotion, and within a brief moment, may become the proprietor of joy or grief, or the subject thereof. If we seek to strip beyond the fleshly hold and rattle our emotions down to the core, perhaps we can withhold emotion; yet as Jesus encountered tremendous pain and joy, He appropriately lived and celebrated those current emotions. He was brave for those who were fearful, and other times, He paused in grief while others stood aside in disbelief. Likewise, we cannot step beyond the veil, observing the details of life with some kind of objective and stoic effort. When we lean into grief or celebrate joyfully, we can invite God into that place of emotion, thanking Him while maintaining an attitude of thanksgiving, asking Him to provide healing; but ultimately, to bring glory to His name, no matter the situation or cause. Truly, our choice will be whether or not to allow those challenges and blessings to shape our character, refine our vision, and usher us into deeper communion with Christ:  trusting Him, living purposefully, loving others with a clear view of Godly hope, and with a glorious vision for Heaven.
Acts 20:24 – However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace.

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