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How Can I Have Joy Right Now?

Sometimes it seems impossible to have joy when life keeps throwing curveballs your way.

Allison Crampton

Jun 04, 2019

University of Oklahoma

346

Photo by Allison Crampton

A few days ago I received a text from a friend that on the surface seemed pretty random.

He asked me, "What is the biggest conviction you think God is throwing in your face this summer?"

This question took me by surprise, and the more I thought about it, the heavier the question became.

After a few days of thinking it over, I kept coming back to the same answer.

So often I am guilty of "wishing" my circumstances away. If something I don't like starts to threaten my reality, I revert to fantasy. I start to feel sorry for myself, and I dream about how life could be or how I think it should be.

Over the last few months, there have been a lot of things that I didn't plan or prepare for.

For instance, I didn't plan or prepare to break up with my boyfriend. It was necessary, but that didn't lessen the hurt. I play it all over and over in my head, thinking about how things should have or could have worked out differently.

But it happened.

Through it all, God has been teaching me to have joy right now, despite my circumstances. He is teaching me that happiness and joy aren't the same things. Happiness is fleeting, but abundant joy through Him weathers the storms of life.

It's so easy to feel bogged down by the stresses of life.

Working two jobs, driving to and from these jobs, and preparing for summer classes... Standing on the front end of this list, it's not hard to feel overwhelmed.

But God has control.

He is my source of joy, life, and salvation. He makes even the mundane days bring a smile to my face.

Finding joy in Christ is not always my "go to." A lot of the time, I sulk about the way things are, and then I try to figure things out on my own.

However, this is not how God intended it to be.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).

Despite the hurt, the confusion, and the chaos, I know that I can have hope. Because life keeps moving forward, the world keeps spinning, and joy found through Jesus is better than any fantasy I could ever dream up.

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How Can I Have Joy Right Now?

Sometimes it seems impossible to have joy when life keeps throwing curveballs your way.

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The struggles of having an RBF are all too real

1. People asking if you're mad at them.

2. Those people who hand out flyers don't always try to stop you.

3. Creepy guys telling you to smile.

4. "I thought you were a bitch when I first met you."

5. People telling you you'd be "so much prettier if you smiled."

6. Doing your makeup and looking great, which somehow intensifies the bitch face.

7. Regularly explaining "it's just my face."

We all go through certain stages when we have a crush, Tina just explains it better.

That moment that someone you never looked twice at suddenly makes you do a double take out of no where.

But you can't have a crush, that's outrageous. It's all in your head.

Because you don't have a crush, there's no reason to tell anyone about anything. Right?

But then they do something irresistible and you start to lose it.

Now accepting the fact you have a crush, you have to keep it under control.

Then there's the part where you tell your friends who will claim they called it.

They'll be excited and cheer you on. That's until they realize that your crush is all you'll be talking about.

Your obsession has become so bad, that your Facebook stalking is getting out of control.

But your friends will try and help move things along any way they can. That doesn't mean it will be any helpful though.

As time goes on, you start having fantasies about the two of you and it's starting to scare you a little.

You can't focus on anything because all your attention is on them and everything they do.

Anybody who comes near your crush is now an enemy, and you are willing to fight for your crush.

When you see them, you act like an idiot. Trying to hide your feelings may not be as discrete as you think.

Keeping your feelings inside will start to be harder and harder until you can't keep it inside anymore.

Who knows, maybe it will work out? Take a chance.

Everybody hurts sometimes.

May the odds be ever in your favor.

What about those of us who don't do it all in four years?

1. You feel like an elder.

2. You may feel lonely.

3. Senioritis is more real than ever.

4. You may feel a little down sometimes.

5. Fear of missing out won't be as real.

6. You are a college pro.

7. You'll have more free time.

8. You're happy you're still in school.

9. You feel like a guru.

10. You continue to grow.

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