From A Reader

Someone who reminded me that joy can be rediscovered, even in the hardest seasons.

Today’s letter comes from one of you, someone who reminded me that joy can be rediscovered, even in the hardest seasons.

“Dear Temi,

I just couldn’t keep this to myself. If I didn’t write to you, it would feel like I was being ungrateful. Your last letter, the one about courage, felt like it was written with me in mind. For months, I have been walking around feeling like joy was something that would only return once life finally got better. I thought, ‘Once I get the job… once I get married… once this storm passes, then I’ll be happy again.’

But the truth? I got the job. The storm eased. And yet, the joy still didn’t come. I woke up one morning and realised I was still heavy, still exhausted, still going through the motions. I finally sent you an email, not even sure if you’d reply. And you did, you told me to go and read Psalm 51:12, where David prays, ‘Restore to me the joy of Your salvation.’

Temi, those words hit me like a wave. It had never occurred to me that joy could be restored before my circumstances changed. That maybe joy wasn’t waiting for a perfect life, maybe it was waiting for me to ask for it back.

So last month, after reading one of your devotionals, I decided to try. I went for a long walk and prayed a very simple prayer: ‘Lord, show me one thing to be joyful about today.’ It felt small, but it was all I had to give. And do you know what happened? I turned a corner, and there it was, a single, stubborn little flower pushing its way through a crack in the pavement. It stopped me in my tracks. I just stood there smiling like a child.

It felt like God was whispering, ‘See? There is beauty even here. Even in the hard places. Even when things don’t look the way you want them to.’ I don’t know how to explain it, but that moment cracked something open in me. I felt joy, real gentle joy, for the first time in months.

Since then, I’ve been looking for joy differently. I don’t wait for it to come crashing in, loud and dramatic. I look for it in small things: in the sound of laughter drifting through the hallway, in a sunset that paints the sky soft pink, in my favourite song playing unexpectedly on the radio, in a text from a friend that makes me smile. Joy is quiet. It’s patient. It’s waiting for us to notice.”

Dear reader, maybe you’ve been waiting for joy to find you, too. Maybe you’ve been waiting for everything to line up before you allow yourself to smile again. Can I remind you, just like this reader reminded me? Joy is already here. It may be quiet, but it is waiting for you to pause long enough to see it.

Look for it today in a smile, a sunset, a favourite song, the kindness of a stranger. Ask God to restore to you the joy of His salvation, even before everything feels “fixed.” You may be surprised how quickly joy comes running back to meet you.

Walking toward joy with you,
A Reader