Locate

By Pastor Paul Gauche

Today’s Word: ‘Locate’ as in… as in the ability to locate ourselves in joy makes all the difference.

The capacity to rejoice in times of hardship and challenge can be transcendent. We’re not talking about the kind of rejoicing that happens over some fleeting, momentary bit of excitement; a pan of brownies, a snow day, changing fall colors, finding a lost wallet. Instead, a deeper kind of rejoicing is possible even – especially when our back is up against the wall, our hands are tied, our vision is limited, our hope is flagging, and we feel like we’re coming apart at the seams. This is the joy we may know cognitively while not necessarily feeling it. This is the joy we experience by knowing that even during hardship and challenges, we’re being held together by the love and grace of God.

Ancient wisdom written by the Apostle Paul while sitting in a prison cell in Rome cuts to the chase when he communicated with his friends in Philippi. He said, “I’ll continue to rejoice, no matter what… because for me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” This was Paul’s way of saying, “You know what? No matter what, I’m going to locate myself in joy.”

When faced with challenges, finding joy first is the last thing we feel equipped to do. When we face challenges that seem beyond our capacity to deal with them, finding joy is much more than simply having a positive mental attitude about life. It’s way beyond walking into a horse barn to clean the stalls and saying to yourself, “You know, there’s just got to be a pony lurking in here someplace….” Locating the joy is about embracing the truth that “No Matter What” happens, we’re secure in Christ, and that’s a reason for joy, no matter what. It’s knowing that no matter how things change, no matter what kinds of transitions we’re facing, no matter how dire things become, we can rejoice in the reality of being held together even when we feel like we’re completely falling apart.

#100days50words

Paul Gauche is the Pastor of Life Transitions at Prince of Peace. His posts are part of his #100days50words project, where he blogs about a different word each week. You can follow his project on Instagram (@pgauche) or his blog, Thriving Rhythms.