Joy in the Journey

Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; He makes my feet like the deer’s; He makes me tread on my high places. Habakkuk 3:17-19 ESV [1]

A friend’s husband from our homeschool community in San Diego just entered the gates of heaven after a long battle with cancer. From the beginning the family was prayerfully hopeful; they engaged in a range of alternative therapies including treatment in Germany. When I think of David, his resilience and faithfulness to lift the name of Jesus to the end, I am gripped with emotions ranging from grief to sorrow for the family and to joy knowing his suffering is over—he’s dancing with his Father. 

I’m also inspired to take my own health journey one day at a time by faith. Right now it’s awkward trying to type with hands that are numb again.[2] Nevertheless, I will praise Him. King David sang, “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber” (Psalm 121:1-3 ESV). 

I am reminded of the apostle Paul’s declaration from his prison cell. “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14 ESV). He moved with day-by-day perseverance in season and out of season with one vision in mind. I have never been in prison nor have faced persecution beyond shaming comments people directed at my business upon finding I was a believer. My greatest challenges have been the seasons when there was no fruit on my vines, my health journey, parenting, and the fluctuations of ministry. 

If I, by faith, believe Paul’s declaration to the Romans in 8:28 (“we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose”), then I can live one day at a time with joy.

One of my father’s most often uttered phrases in his strong Texan drawl was, “Well, praise the Lord.” “Dad,” we’d call, “the goats are out!” “Well, praise the Lord, let’s go get them.” I so admired his faithfulness to praise in all circumstances. Steady, unshakeable confidence in the ultimate goodness of God. 

We call endurance in the face of adversity fortitude. My initial image of this trait is an individual steadily backpacking up a mountain, one boot in front of the next. Sweaty, hungry, and with weary legs he continues forward without looking back. My mind recalls the biographies of missionaries far from home in foreign lands that my mother read to us in our homeschool years. They were often comfortless and cut off from communication in the days before modern media and cell phones, patiently waiting for letters of encouragement or news. They had a vision before them and would not surrender to adverse conditions. In the Spirit, they tread on high places. 

We usually don’t think of fortitude with joy; however, I would challenge those of us who profess Christ to press on, to endure, not in drudgery or woeful surrender, but to rejoice in the Lord—live day by day with joy. James 1:2-4 exhorts, “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.” 

Countless biographies of these Christ-followers lift one’s spirits with inspiration as we read of their joy in suffering, joy in adversity, joy in affliction. Hudson Taylor, famously known for his missions to China, invested his life, the lives of many of his children and wives, to undertake 11 voyages in all to return to China to reach the Chinese for the gospel. What a harvest! Souls transformed. How many of us would have returned home at the death of our first child? 

In the often-quoted Philippians 4:13, Paul reminds us again that “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” The strength of these Christ-followers was found in Christ, not their circumstances. My husband’s mother, Judy, was a simple woman whose life story reflected one challenge after another. The last ten years of her life Judy was confined to her bed, though never once complaining. She used her time to pray. In his struggles, Mark would call his mother and unload, complaints to which she faithfully responded, “Well, Mark, the Lord knows.” Her simple faith day by day, regardless of her living situation, has been an inspiration to many. Bedridden, yet embodying joy because her hope was not in this world.

Day in, day out. One step at a time. I march forward in victory knowing Christ has already won the battle and I am more than a conqueror. I choose to rejoice in the Lord—I choose praise. I have been set free to endure with joy. I choose joy. I give God all the glory. 

[1] The English Standard Version translation does not capitalize pronouns referring to God; these have been added by Cultivating editors throughout.

[2] In 2011 I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. I opted to treat it naturopathically, primarily through diet and daily exercise routines. I have regained strength and vision in my left side but still battle numbness, fatigue, and memory loss. 

The featured image is courtesy of Justin Lee Parker and is used with his kind permission for Cultivating.

Mary Miller

Mary has cherished life-long literary dreams coupled with a passion for ministry, all of which lead her to study English literature and later theology and counseling in seminary. She has been designing artisan jewelry for nine years while homeschooling son Ian and daughter Julianna. After 14 years of ministry in San Diego she and her husband Mark Miller, along with their teenagers and cat, Lord Peter Wimsey relocated to Charlottesville, VA where they enjoy farm life, chickens and all. Mary enjoys off-the-wall humor, gardening, cooking, and curling up with anything penned by Dorothy Sayers, C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, or Jane Austen.

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