I recently watched one of Joni Eareckson Tada’s reels on Instagram. She was singing “Rise and Shine and Give God the Glory,” and she explained that her mother would sing that song as a morning wakeup call when Joni was a child. She also said singing this song continues to be her morning ritual some fifty years later. If you’ve ever heard of Joni Eareckson Tada and her story, you must be inspired by her attitude and her words.
I am very much inspired by people who continue to have positive attitudes in the midst of such pain and suffering. How do they do it?
As Corrie Ten Boom advised, we need to do more nestling and less wrestling.
Oh, goodness! That’s easier said than done for me.
However, scripture gives us some great advice where our trials are concerned.
“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”—Isaiah 40:31
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”—Philippians 4:6
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”—1 Peter 5:7
In Mary Holloman’s book The Anxious Lily (©2024 by End Game Press), Lola the Lily wonders why she has not grown like the other flowers around her. She feels small and silly and constantly thinks about all the “what ifs” that could come her way.
“This flower—so anxious, unnerved, and uptight—
Had become quite a sad and a troublesome sight.”
When Lola becomes so worried that she forgets to notice the sunshine above her or the beauty of nature around her, a wise oak tree reminds her that God is taking care of all her needs.
“Your needs have been met from the moment you sprouted
But you sit and you fret—your whole life you have doubted.”
Wow! Is this book trying to send me a message? What about you?
I’m sure you know how Lola’s story ends. She learns to trust in God’s timing, and she starts nestling and stops wrestling!
You may also be familiar with the writer C. S. Lewis and how finding joy in his life took a while. Like Mary Holloman’s lily, he needed to look up and find God.
“Through good times and bad, C. S. Lewis had learned to trust God. His belief helped him make sense of the world. It showed him how to find joy even when he felt stuck in sadness.”—from Daniel DeWitt’s C. S. Lewis: The Writer Who Found Joy (©2023 by B&H Publishing Group).
In her book Songs of Suffering (©2022 by Crossway), Joni Eareckson Tada references the song “Be Still My Soul” by Katharina von Schlegel. She describes how having COVID-19 as a quadriplegic made her feel “anxious and confined,” but also how she sang her way through it.
“Be still, my soul! For God is on your side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to your God to order and provide,
Who through all changes faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul! Your best, your heav’nly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.”
Tada explains, “As you sing stillness into your soul above your walls that confine, you may find that hedged-in place is the widest—and most wonderful—place to build trust in Jesus Christ.”
When I was a child, my family took a road trip from Tennessee to Texas. My carsickness and my discomfort made me ask, “Are we there yet?” a million times. I saw through a glass darkly then. As an adult, I see things a little more clearly. I am sometimes impatient, but I know God’s got this. I can try to let go of my anxiety and find joy in the journey.
Reflecting on the song “In His Time” by Diane Ball helps me to reach that goal.
“In His time, (in His time), in His time, (in His time);
He makes all things beautiful in His time (in His time).
Lord, please show me every day as You’re teaching me Your way,
That You do just what You say in Your time (in Your time).”
Whether battling physical illness, struggling with job issues, facing family hardships, feeling anxious like Lola the Lily, or waiting for hopes and dreams to be fulfilled, we can all find joy if we wait with wonder and without worry.
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”—Romans 5:3-5
I hope you will rise and shine every morning and give God the glory as you bask in the glow of His love.
(Check out my fall newsletter in two weeks when I interview author Caris Snider who shares more ways to combat your worry.)
“Being reminded of God’s love is the best way to begin and celebrate each day.”—from “Good morning, God loves you!” by Crystal Bowman and Teri McKinley
“The more you pray, the less you’ll panic. The more you worship, the less you’ll worry.”—Rick Warren
“Anxiety’s like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn’t get you very far.”—Jodi Picoult
“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.”–Corrie Ten Boom”
“Fear arises when we imagine everything depends on us.”–Elisabeth Elliot
Hebrews 10:35-36; Psalms 32:11; James 1:2-4; Romans 12:12; 1 Peter 5:7
Thank you, Joyce, for this timely article. May God continue to bless you and your ability to express your thoughts as you do. You are such a blessing to so many.
Thank you, Jennifer! Blessings to you and your family as well!