Have you ever known someone who seems to find joy despite great hardship in their life? What if it’s because the source of things like joy in their life are anchored to something much more steady and unwavering? Are you all too familiar with brokenness? I'd guess that many of us are.

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This can look like so many different things. Maybe it’s the weight of sin and shame because of something you did, the places you've been. It could look like the hurt someone caused you that wasn't your fault at all. Or it might be a diagnosis, a loss, or something that never was.  

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The reality is that we live in a broken world. And I'm not really sure that anyone makes it out unscathed. Having experienced every one of those examples. and still living some to this day, I've learned that in the hardest moments, I often hear God speaking the loudest. When I'm at my worst and I'm to blame, I hear God teaching me something and gently calling me back to him. When things hurt and it doesn't make any sense, I feel him holding me.

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And when I make the choice to lean into him, everything changes. I've come to realize, as he graciously shows me time and again, that his goodness, kindness, gentleness, and mercy are great. What the Lord offers overshadows all the circumstances of life, and the troubles found in this world seem to lose their sting.

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Please don't hear an insensitivity to what you're going through or an apathy for life. What I'm speaking to is the reality that God cares so deeply about you that he wants to bring you joy despite the waves of life's circumstances. This isn't about faking it, some sort of delusion, or denying reality. This is about God – so powerful, yet so personal that he calls you son, daughter. ^“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

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And because of the promise we read in Romans 8:28, we know that God will use all of it. It’s redeeming and often so beautiful to see how he works, despite the circumstances.  

What is there in your life that feels broken? Where do you need God to restore joy? Maybe it’s something that feels impossible, and you are needing hope. Take a few minutes now to take that to God. Make space to remove all of the distractions and sit with him. If this isn't something you do normally, I want to challenge you to stretch yourself in this area. Below are some sentences that may help if you are unsure of where to begin. Whatever this looks like, let down the walls and be real with the Lord. He loves you, he likes you, and he wants to hear from you.

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God, please help me to be present in this moment with you. Please remove the distractions and anything that is keeping me from you. I want to invite you into this thing in my life. Would you give me eyes to see, ears to hear, and an open mind to however you desire to move.