How to Find JOY on Sleepless Nights

          Sometimes our joy can be dependant upon our situation. If you are making good money and loving your job, your countenance probably reflects your happiness with your situation. If you are unemployed and you've only been facing rejection and frustration, you might not be going through your week with a smile on your face. When I go through tough situations, I tend to let it take over. I let it determine my mood and pray for the situation to change.

             Recently, I have been praying so hard for The Lord to give me sleep. Maclaren didn't sleep through the night until after she turned one and then for the past couple months she has been getting all her teeth at once. Momma needs her sleep!

             I heard a sermon about changing our pattern, so I started going to bed earlier to be prepared to wake up earlier. Then she started waking up a 2am or 4:30am and my 3 year old basically doesn't go to sleep until I do. When you pray for your situation to change and it doesn't, what do you do?

         The Lord spoke to me at church on Sunday, and said, "I'm not changing the situation, I'm changing YOU. Until you can have joy on those sleepless nights; until you can have joy that's not dependant on your situation; until you can have joy solely because I died on the cross for YOU, saved you from death and gave you life, your situation will not change." I thought, whoa, my situation hasn't changed because I haven't. I can't just be short tempered, in a funk, in a bad mood, temperamental, expecting people to cater to my needs, rude to others, etc and blame it on my sleepless night(s). 

           Pastor also said, "our joy is our job". I need to put that on my sticky notes this week. I can't let my joy depend on my daughter sleeping through the night. We can't let joy depend on our job, our medical diagnosis, our spouse, our empty bank account, our weaknesses, our brokenness, our divorce, our barren womb, our past, our family life, our neglect, our DNA, etc.
          We have to decide that we will start our day off cheerful. We will count our blessings. We will focus on what is lovely. We will remember what Jesus did for us. We won't compare. We will root our day in the truth of God's Word.
          I want to be a better mom, a better wife, a better daughter, a better sister, a better friend. I want to work on my joy. Do you?

To hear more of the sermons that have been changing my mood.. click here.