A time to dance

    

    Something happens unexpectedly when you start healing deeper from something. As it happens you nearly second guess yourself and question that maybe you’re bypassing your emotions or maybe you’re not facing reality anymore. It’s not exhaustion and it’s not tears or anger resurfacing like you may expect. 

    Yea that’s what happens when you first really address things and take time to sit with the realities of something you went through that you tried to push away but then something shifts and the painful situation while it’s still a part of your story, it’s not the whole story anymore. It nearly sneaks up on you when this happens and it’s not until you stop yourself and say “oh wow I haven’t thought about x, y and z for a bit because I’ve been so focused on a, b and c instead, oh that’s pretty cool” and the a, b and c that you find yourself focused on are things that make you happy and bring you joy. 

    Maybe it’s a creative endeavor, a time with a friend you’re looking forward to or a song you can’t get enough of. And then you start to almost feel bad about it as if you’re not allowed to be happy. “Because x, y and z happened and those were very no bueno things, so are you really feeling or are you distracting?” You may ask yourself. The thing with painful things though is that no matter how painful they may be when we actually give ourselves the time and space to heal from them, we come back to life and with coming back to life, we find ourselves not feeling just more alive but feeling happier as well. 

    I think sometimes people that follow Jesus forget that we’re allowed to be happy. We hear a lot of sermons about finding beauty in brokenness, feeling God’s comfort through the pain and grief, remembering the brokenness of our world so we can keep that hunger for Heaven and know that there is something deeper to life. Trials bring refinement. And that is so so good and so important to remember but people that follow Jesus are also called to not only mourn, but also rejoice.  

Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy; all you upright in heart! -Psalm 32:11

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with jewels.- Isaiah 61:10 

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit-Romans 14:17

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope-Romans 15:32 

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice-Philippians 4:4 

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you-1 Thessalonians 3:9 

    It’s okay to be happy and grow in your walk with the Lord. Walking with the Lord doesn’t always have to go hand in hand with trials. Yes there are times in life where that may be the case but it is okay if you feel like you are coming into a time that is filled with joy. Walking with the Lord can also be feeling gratitude to Him for the sunshine in the sky, cool looking clouds, your family, your close friends, the weather getting warmer, the perfect cup of cold brew coffee and the ways He’s changing and shaping you. 

    Walking with the Lord doesn’t just mean crying in your car while eating french fries, it can also mean dancing in the kitchen with a Two Door Cinema Club Radio playlist on full blast. 

    I’ve been listening to Desiring God by John Piper on my way to work in the mornings. In one of the chapters, John Piper talked about how part of worshiping God is delighting in Him. God wants us to delight in Him and part of delighting in Him is being thankful for the tangible ways He shows us He loves us. He shows us His love for us in the simple things like peppy beats, wildflowers, a mountain range, good friends and gleaming orange sunrises. And He loves when we delight in those things and give thanks to Him for them. 

    So today, if you are going through a time of healing and suddenly slowly overtime, now have less bad days and more good days, know that that’s a good thing. You are on the right track. If you are a believer and sometimes you find yourself feeling guilty for when things are mostly good or you're able to find the silver lining and you’re feeling happy, cast that guilt out. God is a good giver who gives good gifts that are tangible examples of His love. It’s okay to be happy and it’s okay to dance in your kitchen. :)

Have a great week!

-Amy