Luke 1:46-47
My soul magnifies the lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
Joy is what happened in Mary’s spirit when she believed that God would do what he said he would do. Joy is not just a feeling, but it can affect feelings. I can imagine that Mary had some feelings about being a pregnant and unmarried jew. I’m guessing Paul had some feelings about being in prison and beaten and shipwrecked when he said to the Thessalonians and the Philippians and the Romans to rejoice, rejoice, rejoice! The joy of the Lord really had to be their strength.
But what about me? I have no great searing emotional pain or loss; I am healthy and happy. I just have my regular life. So often I look at the story of someone like Paul or Mary and feel unqualified to claim that I need the joy of the Lord to be my strength. Do I really need the joy of the Lord to sit on the floor and play cars with a two-year-old? To avoid picking up my phone again to scroll instagram and actually be present with my child? Do I really need the joy of the Lord to fold another load of laundry? Maybe I should be able to do these things with my regular human strength, the kind that comes with being an adult.
But over and over, the Lord reminds me that my regular, human strength is enough for just one thing: to turn to him and say “I believe. Help my unbelief.”
I believe that my regular life is producing in me a good harvest. I believe that God wants to give me joy in my regular life. I believe that being present with my son—whether it’s in those first sweet smiles of the morning or in that long hour before bed time—is a perfect place to receive the joy of the Lord as I grow to believe that this is what he has for me today.
Father, help me to believe today that you are working in me and in my regular life to make something beautiful.