As my Pastor has said before, we are either headed into a trial, in the midst of a trial, or coming out of one. A dark night, I call it. Well, I am in one now. Are you?

It is so dark where I am that I can not see my way. I only know that I have to trust the Lord to guide me through this time. I don’t know the answers. I don’t know what is best. I don’t know the future. But … I know Who does.

Sometimes He just gives us light for the step we are on. I will do all that I know to do in my dark night. I will take this step that He lit for me, and then I will wait until He reveals what to do next, until He shines the light on the next step.

Our Sunday School class is currently going through the Beth Moore Bible Study Living Beyond Yourself: Exploring the Fruits of the Spirit. We are on Joy. I am a work in progress. I am trying my best to have joy during this walk through the darkness. I know it will not come naturally, I will have to choose it, step by scary step. The searing pain of my dark night makes joy difficult, if not impossible for me. I will have to work at it.

I am no stranger to the dark night. I have been here many times before, and I know I will be here again. My endless day will come when I get to Heaven, but not a minute before. I am not there yet. This world is not home to the Christian. As my friend Jessica reminded us in Sunday School this week of a quote by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” That puts it into a whole new perspective.

We have to work at it, but joy is all around us even in our darkest hours.  Live beyond what if. And find joy in what is.

There is joy in our salvation. Knowing that a perfect Savior paid the price for imperfect me to live for eternity in that perfect City of Gold with Him and my loved ones, is, well, PERFECT!! It should make me sing and shout every day and live my life in complete victory, no matter what, to know how much He loves me, and that He will carry me safely to Heaven one day. “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.”  (Isaiah 12:3)

There is joy in our discovery. We can find Christ in every circumstance if we only look for Him—His hand of mercy, His hand of blessing, His hand of grace. “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13) He is in the sunset. He is in a bird’s song. He is in a baby’s little chubby cheeks. Each new discovery that God is here on Earth with us is definitely something to get excited about!

There is joy in our restoration. One reason God allows us to experience trouble is because He wants to reveal His joy to us through restoration. God does not like gaps between us and Him. He will often do whatever is necessary to bring us closer to Him. In the good times, do we find that we don’t need Him? We grow closest to Him when we can better understand His sufferings. He wants to carry us all the way past the suffering to the restoration, the resurrection from our dark night. What joy is found when we come out of the dark tunnel, and into the light!

My sweet friend, Cathy, has been through a dark night. In December, she had quintuple heart bypass surgery. Inch by inch she has traveled through the darkness. Cathy has just completed cardio rehab. She has learned how to take better care of herself with two walks per day, a healthy diet, and lots of other advice from her doctors and healthcare professionals. She has lost 30 pounds. She looks amazing, and is better health-wise than she has been in years. She told me the other day that it was like coming out of a tunnel. To see the breath-taking beauty of her new life, her second chance on life, has touched her so deeply, and she is forever changed because of the dark night He has brought her through.

There is joy in abiding in Christ. Abiding in Christ means walking with Him, and letting Him nurture us, guide us and carry us. He is the Source, that Living Water, that Reservoir of Ultimate Joy, that we can tap into any time we want, no matter what dark night we are in. The power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in those who have accepted Him as their Lord and Savior. Talk about a reason to be joyful!

There is joy found in our brothers and sisters in Christ. How I have wished that sometimes Jesus in person would just walk right into the room where I am, and sit down and talk with me. I would hang on every word He said. I would hug Him. I would ask for His advice. Even though he does not come to me in person, there have been so many times that He has sent a fellow  believer that could hug me and give me godly counsel. Often we would end up laughing, and it would always make me feel better. Joy! Joy! “Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.” (Philemon 7)

Even in the darkest night, who can be enveloped by the dark when you are walking by the Light of the World?

“…Even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.” Psalm 139:12

Dear Lord: Thank You for carrying us step by step through the dark night. We acknowledge that we cannot make it through without Your help. Soon You will bring us out of the tunnel into the light, and we will see all that You have for us. Until that time, walk with us and hold our hands. Guide us with the light of Your love through our dark night. We praise You in advance for all that You are going to do. Amen

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

“…For the joy of the Lord is my strength.” Nehemiah 8:10

Are you in a dark night? Look around. Joy can be found in every circumstance as long as we are walking with God.

Please share your thoughts, experiences and encouragement with our group. Thank you for reading and sharing my blogpost. May God always bring you safely through your darkest night, better and stronger than when you entered the journey.