Count it all joy

Let’s be transparent. I’m not trying to paint a picture of a perfect life, because don’t we see enough of that on social media?

[Also, before we get this started, can I also take a moment to shout-out some girlfriends who have posted pictures of their dirty laundry on social media? Literally baskets full of dirty laundry. They serve as a reminder that the majority of what we see while scrolling are the best moments. By posting these pictures, these ladies have encouraged me to stay grounded and transparent both online and in everyday life. Much love, y’all.]

Total transparency: I had a meltdown yesterday. All I wanted to do was read my devotional and pray. My son wouldn’t let me leave his side and the TV was booming. I slipped into the bedroom to get into the right headspace and made it through all of two paragraphs before Gavin came in and started going through my nightstand drawer.

Cue meltdown.

I’m not going to go into specifics but it’s certainly not lost on me that my husband has the patience of Job. I took a few minutes and retreated back to the bedroom to finish my devotional (which was much needed at this point). In those moments of reflection, I had a grand realization:

I was being a brat.

Let’s count it all joy, people. The things that were bothering me the most at that very moment are the same things that ladies around the world are longing for in this very moment.

Time with God is precious and I’ve been prayer journaling lately to keep myself accountable. I typically write key scripture and answer the questions from that day’s devotion, and then I begin to pray on paper. I write down what’s on my heart and in my mind. I highly recommend it. As I was praying on paper, I found myself feeling so selfish for that outburst. Who was I to become annoyed over things that people so desperately want to cherish?

As I was writing I felt a tug to share my prayer, which is funny timing because I’ve been nervous about my next blog post. What if people don’t like it? The reality is that my writing is not going to be for everybody; it’s a fact of life and I most definitely am not going to let it keep me up at night. So you can understand the irony in sharing a simple prayer after mulling for the past week.

I prayed:

Lord, help! I let my human emotions take control this morning and got really upset. Help me count it all joy, Lord. I should be thankful that I have a son that’s not giving me personal space, a husband that’s not a mind reader, a TV that’s too loud and so on. Help me count it all joy, my God. I need patience God!

This morning I need You in ways that I can’t put into words, God. In ways I can’t express but just KNOW. Searching my heart to make sure YOU are first. To want privacy and becoming resentful. Cover me in grace, God. Cover me!

Thank You for my husband, Lord. Thank You for his patience with me.

Thank You for my children, Lord. Bless them Lord! Keep them healthy, loud, and rambunctious.

A person doesn’t have to be religious to relate to this message. Count it all joy. What is irritating you? How can you find a way to appreciate it? My kids may have been needy but there’s a woman out there longing to be a mother. Why complain that my children want to be around me too much? The TV was too loud to concentrate, but there’s a woman out there in an abusive relationship or heartbroken. Who the heck am I to complain that my husband didn’t jump to turn the TV down because I was trying to read? Thank You for my children, Lord. Thank You for my husband, too-loud TV, and the electricity to make it work.

I can be really selfish sometimes. This is why I pray to count it all joy, even when I’m feeling like I’m about to lose it (and when I’ve lost it already). There is so much in life that we take for granted, so much that we tend to forget about in the midst of our basic human emotions. I’ll be the first to admit it. So breathe, girlfriend, and count it all joy. It’s a beautiful world and you don’t want to miss out.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4, ESV)