Crayon Ready by Deena McDaniel Positively Beautiful Blog

Cancer Can’t Destroy Joy  by Deena McDaniel Positively Beautiful Blog 5/1/2020

In this time of shut-ins, I’ve been given a new perspective through JOY! Joy just happens to be her name. She’s dying of cancer and her request to me was, “Tell me your prayer request.” ME? I should be on my knees all day for this precious woman of God. Instead I’ve been the grocery shopper for Joy and her husband Ian. Several years ago, my friends and I visited her at her hospital bed. I knew that beautiful fall day would bring a day of death. “I don’t think she’s going to make it to Thanksgiving,” I shared with tears in his eyes to my husband. James 1:2-4-“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.” That was 3 years ago or so. What is God doing?

Amid the pandemic our lives have truly hit a “new normal” though mask shopping, social distancing (who knew six feet was the special space) and an outpouring of grace. We all suddenly see life through a new lens. What’s important in your life? Each of us begin instantly seeing how selfish we are to others. Once we yelled at the cashier (if only in our heart) to hurry up! Now, we’re thinking is that person standing in line too close to me. Or wow look at that junkie mask, how could they even wear that! And, do you think that mask worn down by your chin is even effective?   Does that even count as wearing a mask?

Lighten up! Be that expression of JOY! My daughter Abby and I took a couple of days for a drive daughter adventure. Now it was just to BJ’s and Costco for Joy and Ian her husband, but we made it outings to remember. Abby read the list of supplies and I grabbed the goods as we jammed with one earbud each listening to her music from her phone. THEN, music blasted out my car speakers as we jammed cruising over to our destination. Yep, way too much fun on an easy outing. But it’s bringing JOY throughout your experiences that creates a workspace for learning. What are you learning through this trial? Where are you working these days? As for me I’m on my front porch! I’ve been shooting fitness videos and posting them on my YouTube Channel #coachdeenamcd and seeing my gardening work transforming my front yard to a classic Florida curb appeal form.

And then it’s business as usual. Do laundry, cook dinner, study my Bible…repeat.

Where’s the joy? Proverbs 17:22 –“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” The joy comes as you see the purple and pink sunset through the palms swaying in your front yard office as you shut down for the day. The joy comes as you see a friend’s face light up when you bring them their needed groceries. The joy comes when God blesses you with children who say, thanks Mom for the wonderful dinner. Simple yet profound joys. We must look for them sometimes.

Begin today to put on your JOY glasses.  I think of Joy, who in the middle of her days of only being able to lay flat on her back most of the day, was concerned with my joy. “How am I am I able to pray for you dear?” her sweet Jamaican voice twinkled through my phone. All I could do was weep. Romans 12:12-“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” As hard as I tried, I didn’t want to burden her with “my” trials of life, but she continued to ask how she could pray for me. I resisted the temptation to unload my burdens on this special lady, my adopted Granny. But soon I found myself sobbing like a baby on my in my front porch office.

The night sky, the mosquito candle, and a box of tissues flooded my “Covid Office.” I’d been praying for someone to talk to about life. Both my parents are dead and my dear “go-to” mother-in-law is also with the Lord. Joy had suddenly brought “angel wings” of rescue. You know those times of life where you want to cry but just can’t. The Holy Spirit was moving on my front porch sittin’.  The joy comes when you cry with those who weep and dance with those who rejoice. (Rom. 12:15).

Being joyful doesn’t mean “happy”.   As a born-again believer, we’re able to experience joy through a difficult situation with compassion and understanding. Joy can be surprisingly found in suffering. We can find joy in suffering when we image Christ.   Hebrews 12:2 -“looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." There’s a gift we experience when a difficult situation is shared in compassion and understanding.  

We’re created to live in community together. From the beginning of time, Adam did not like being alone. Social distancing isn’t natural. We need each other, but for a season we’ll wave at the driveways with our smile masks. I wait for the final JOY to come when we meet the Lord face to face, no mask of any kind. We will see him as he truly is and we’ll experience a joy unimaginable. His sustainable joy is proven true. As we turn away from our own self-interests joy is unstoppable. And let me tell you Joy got me unstuck so now I’m unstoppable. Joy, my Jamaican Granny, is doing a mighty work in my life. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,”-Galatians 5:22 *emphasis on JOY is mine.  By trade, Joy was a nursery owner and plants/fruit were her expertise. I see the FRUIT of the spirit is her trade as well.