There will be seasons of sorrow, seasons of loss, seasons of happiness, seasons of busyness, and seasons of pain. Just as the trees change in the fall, the rain falls in the spring, and the sun shines brightly in the summer, you will never remain in the same season forever.
“There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens.”
– Ecclesiastes 3:1
Have you ever felt that you just can’t wait for such and such to end and then you will be happy? I feel like this is how myself and so many others have lived our lives.
I have told myself as soon as I got to college, I will be happier. As soon as I get married, I will happier. As soon as college is over, I will be happier. As soon as I get a job, I will be happier. This list could on. The bottom line is that instead of finding joy in the current season, I am looking to the next.
Below I am rounding up what I have learned in finding joy in every season of life!
Photography by Starling Hope Photography
1. GOD IS WITH YOU
The One who holds the oceans in His hand and set each star in its place will most certainly be with you through every single season. God knew the season of your life before you came into it. Each season is a time that God can teach and mold you. When we come into a tough season, this is a time to trust God as He helps you through it. Find joy in knowing God is with you through it all.
2. THE SEASONS SEASON YOU
Each season is full of lessons to be learned. What we learn in this one, carries to the next season. What we learn in this one, helps us walk others through their difficult season. As you are walking through a difficult season, find joy in the lessons to be learned.
“weeping comes for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5
3. NOT EVERY SEASON BRINGS HAPPINESS BUT EACH ONE CAN BRING JOY
God doesn’t promise us happiness in a life with Him. Sometimes this is difficult to grasp. Happiness is found in some seasons, but not every season brings happiness. In those unexpected, unwanted seasons, God is teaching me about joy. I’m learning joy isn’t something you feel. It’s found when we dig deep in worship, in prayer and in the Word.
4. CHOOSING JOY IS NOT IGNORING THE HARD MOMENTS
When I am telling myself to choose joy, I am not pretending that my life is perfect. I don’t put on a pretend smile and go about my day. Talk to God about your struggles and your feelings during those hard moments. Acknowledging the hard moments is necessary and good. Choosing joy is acknowledging that this situation or season is hard, but God is good so I will choose joy.
5. JOY IS A CHOICE
I don’t think we naturally choose joy every day. When my day starts off horribly, I have to choose to let those moments not define me or my day. Some days are harder than others. Try finding something good from your day every single day. When I have a stressful day at school, I thank God I am stressing over something like college that I am blessed to be able to attend and not over where my next meal will come from. When Jimmy and I are disagreeing on a topic, I thank God that I have a loving husband who I get to have hard conversations with. It is sometimes all about perspective.
Although the season might not be what you had hoped, find a reason to be joyful in that season and continuously choose joy. I am in a season I did not think I would be in and have cried more tears this past month than I have in my lifetime. I have chosen to wallow in the sadness for a while now and it has done nothing for me. I am now choosing joy and choosing to learn what God is trying to teach me.
Sorrow, anger, loss, busyness, and sadness can steal my joy if I let it, but I am learning to choose joy. Every day, I look for ways to choose joy.
What season are you in? I would love to pray for you as you are going through it!
xoxo,
Ashley Welborn
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