Rejoice Always

"Rejoice always;
pray without ceasing;
in everything give thanks; for this is
God's will for you in Christ Jesus"
- Thessalonians 5:16-18

I am always reading one of Sally Clarkson's books. I find the so encouraging and uplifting. Right now I am reading Seasons of a Mother's Heart and I want to share a passage from her book that really spoke to me.

"I am more convinced than ever that even in the midst of the mundane, burdensome, and oftentimes frustrating tasks of life allotted to me as a mother, God wants me to find his joy. He wants every single day of my life to be a celebration of his blessings, whether they are large or small. He wants me to celebrate life...the life He has given to me.
But what does it mean to "celebrate life"? Does it mean that I can let my house be a wreck so I can enjoy my children, or that I never have negative thoughts and attitudes, or that I never discipline my children? Does it mean that I simply overlook the myriad difficulties that inevitably spoil the best days, or that I ignore the burdens I carry as a stay-at-home mom, or that I close my eyes to intractable sins that won't go away?
Of course not! The joy filled life is not found by trying to diminish my God-given responsibilities as a woman, wife and mother, nor can I find joy merely by refusing to face the hard realities of life in a fallen world. There is a tension that God is asking me to acknowledge and accept- the tension between ideals and realities. True joy is found by living somewhere between the "ideal life" and "daily realities". That is where Messiah meets me, where the Holy Spirit empowers...
To "celebrate life" is simply a choice. Every day, God extends his hand to offer me the gift of another day to live. If I choose to accept it- to transform those minutes and hours into life lived for and with my Savior- I have the opportunity to see God at work, enjoy His presence, wonder at His creation, appreciate the expressions of His beauty and love, and touch the minds and hearts of my children with His reality. That's certainly what I desire, but it is a choice I have to make...
When you are thankful you are acknowledging God's sovereign control over all the circumstances of your life, whether good or bad."

Rejoice always;
Pray with out ceasing;
in everything give thanks.

In EVERYTHING give thanks. For that is God's will for our lives.
I must admit that this is not easy. On days when everything seems to be going wrong it is so much easier to grumble and complain. I think this is why we are to pray without ceasing; when we feel compelled to complain, let us turn our hearts to God and pray, to be still and hear His voice, to turn our burdens and worries over to Him. Slowing down and making time to pray in the middle of the day can also be a challenge, especially with lots of little ones running around... especially when you are trying to accomplish A, B, and C... but choosing to slow down and pray in the midst of a crazy day also provides us with the perfect opportunity to draw our children close and pray with them- to teach them to turn our frustrations, worries and complaints over to God and "lean not on our own understanding, but in all our ways acknowledge Him" - Proverbs 3:5-6

Rejoice always;
Pray without ceasing;
In everything give thanks.

These are words that are meant to be put into action; and the reality is that these words are challenging...
but I am ready to live in the will of the Father... pursuing joy each day.