It's Your Choice!

I was thinking while I sat warm and cozy in my La-Z-Boy chair yesterday, writing in my journal that I had entitled “Piper’s Story,” as the rain and wind were plummeting everything outside as a result of hurricane Michael, that we had established some important principles early on in our relationship.  With one of the first and foremost being, to do our best to create and maintain an attitude of joy in us and around us at all times!

And while this was not always the easiest of tasks, I think that in some respects with our personalities, it came somewhat easy to us.  I’ve heard it said many times that opposites attract, but I sure don’t see that a lot with Piper and I!  We both have had easy-going, patient, fun-loving, inquisitive, and sensitive natures about us.  That is what immediately drew me to that cute girl that always seemed to have a smile on her face back in High School!

I was telling someone the other day that I always loved to make Piper laugh (as she did with me as well)… even to the very end while I kneeled on the floor at her bedside in her final hours and found myself telling her funny stories from our past.  The ability to find something cheerful in almost any situation just seemed to come easy to us.  Or did it?

While I was thinking, praying, and writing about this during the blistery weather yesterday, I was quickly reminded of one of both Piper’s and my favorite scriptures that never went a day without being spoken out of our lips, usually on multiple occasions.  And that scripture is found in Psalm 118:24 where the Psalmist exults, “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” (KJV) 

Over the years it became one of the first things we spoke out even before we got out of bed in the morning.  Many times, we sung it individually or together as we turned our heads on our pillows and smiled at each other!  I still do it to this day, although the only one I can sing it with now is the pooch, who normally only builds up enough energy to open up one eye and glance at me across the bedroom!

This verse holds what I believe to be one the major keys that helped us function effectively throughout the long years of our ordeal with Piper’s health.  To me the Psalmist, who most agree was David, starts with a statement of fact that my faith in God and His Word will not allow me to overlook.  Mainly, that God is the creator of this new day!  The initial and most popular usage of the Hebrew word “day” in this verse constitutes “a 24 hour period” (Brown Driver-Briggs) or as the Greek translation states: “The time between dawn and dusk.” (Strong’s)  This scripture therefore makes a good argument that David meant for the reader to take it for each and every new day!

The next part of the verse then tells us exactly what to do about it.  It declares, “we will rejoice and be glad in it.”  To me, he is giving us a command.  I’ve always read it as “I will to rejoice and be glad in it.”  It is a choice that each of us has to make each day!  Piper and I always understood it that way and decided that it was a deliberate decision that we would make each and every morning!  So… before our feet hit the ground, it was already decided that we were going to rejoice no matter what came up that day.

I’ve found that having already decided my reaction to the situations in daily life, quickly gives me the upper hand when things happen… especially if they are not too positive!  And it was that years-developed foundation that I believe gave us the ability to keep a smile on our face, Godly based expectation in our hearts and that “peace, which goes beyond anything we can imagine” that “will guard your thoughts and emotions through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7 God’s Word ©) throughout the incredibly tough events of the last 11+ years, while many around us fell to the wayside battling the effects of hopelessness, depression and/or confusion over what had happened to Piper.

As the results of all the tests and other information about Piper’s situation began to come in, the two of us simply continued to flow in an attitude of joy, knowing that our trust was in Him and that He would “not neglect nor abandon us” (See: Joshua 1:5)  Was it easy? NO!  Where there times when I found myself literally on my knees in the hallway, at the bottom of the stairs or on the kitchen floor crying out to Him? YES!  Did I ever lose my joy?  To be honest, NO -  but I did almost consider it for a few seconds… but the joy of the Lord was so engrained in me that there was no way I could ever give in or give up and go back to what...  anxiety, fear, depression or hopelessness?

NO!  NO! and NO!  That’s just not a part of who Piper and I were, and for her sake, I could not nor would not give up on Him or her in the greatest time in our lives where she needed me to be strong for her… as well as for me!

With her moving on to glory a month or so ago there have been many times where I seem to hurt all over while missing her.  Every time I see a couple smiling and/or laughing together I wonder if I’ll ever have that happiness again, for I can’t imagine having the closeness of the relationship we had with anyone else.  But then the Lord reminds me that while I may not have the physical happiness of being in her presence again (at least until I get to heaven), I can and will always have access to HIS JOY which isn’t dependent on physical situations but is able to cause me to rejoice and be glad no matter what… each and every day!  So why not choose to rejoice and be glad? 

What do you think?  If it worked for Piper and I it will work for you.  Have a super-duper weekend, and as you do, say with me, “I am expecting to rejoice and be glad for the day the Lord has made… just for me, today!”