In the current season of my life, I have been having difficulty being joyful. It seems lately that every time I turn around, another doctor is telling me something that is wrong with my physical body. It’s enough to cause discouragement, but I am determining to choose joy. I do believe that joy is a choice and the contentment that follows that is a gift from God.

We have a reason to choose joy even when the news from our doctors (or the national/international news) is bad. We are all headed towards death. Not a happy thought, I know. But earth is a temporary home and we were never meant to get comfortable here forever. We are just passing through. So when the doctors give a bad report, I turn to the Lord and know that He is right there and it is His report that is most important. His report says that each day I am on earth, I am a little closer to joining Him in Heaven. I hope that is true of all of you, too. No, I don’t like the idea of leaving loved ones behind to grieve or leaving things I have started half done. But when God calls me home, whenever that may be, I want to make sure I am ready to go, not dragging my feet and telling Him that it is too soon. I want to be joyful every day, no matter how much time He has planned for me here on earth. My diagnoses don’t surprise God or make Him anxiously wring His hands. He already has a place for me and knows the very day, hour and minute I will join Him. He guides the doctors and their treatment plan because that is what I am praying and believing for.

So, joy is a choice and I am choosing to be joyful. Today we are going to MD and then onto PA to join our beloved family members and friends there for the wedding of our granddaughter. There was a while there when I didn’t think the doctors would allow me to travel, but my PCP said my heart is stable now, gave me cautions for along the road and reminded me that when I return I have tests with the cardiologist. (Of course, I do. And the nephrologist and now injections in my back at orthopedics.) But nothing will take away my joy and anticipation of seeing family and the happy occasion of a wedding. I appreciate your prayers as we travel and hope to have time to post along the way, but if not, I plan to be back in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, choose JOY!