Settle Into Joy
I happened to glance out the window as I walked into my room and there it was: a radiant sunset splashing across the evening sky with magenta and violet. I couldn’t help myself. I poked my head into the living room and blurted out, “Courtney, the sunset is amazing tonight! I have to go out and see it!” I ran to the back door, flung it open and dashed out onto the deck, out the gate and onto the back stairs. I felt I could almost touch it in all its deep, mysterious beauty. A rich, gorgeous sunset that graced the sky like a handful of jewels. It was so lovely that all I could do was gaze in awe and wonder at God’s handiwork. Then, I felt it, fleeting and deep but unmistakable – joy. Joy. It feels like an elusive concept sometimes. Like the mist that rises from the trees in the morning and disappears when the hot sun beats down and the rough winds blow. I’ve struggled a lot with what joy is supposed to look like in the life of a Christ Follower. Since I was litt...