A Joy Beyond Belief

Do not be anxious

Do not be troubled

Find space in your mind, and

May your heart’s peace be doubled.

Celebrate

The very essence of life

For though it’s harsh

There’s more to be gleaned than strife.

Take in some music

Enjoy the arts

Plug into humour

It’s odd where joy starts.

***

A Benediction

May your day, your afternoon, your evening be blessed with the salt of truth; all of life is to be celebrated. Despite the pain, tap into the good; it remains forever.

***

There is the possibility of climbing above the states of anxiousness, weariness, and lack, when we see vision of a better outcome. This is not about denying being anxious, weary, or despondent in any way. On the contrary, it’s about acknowledging the lack.

And as we acknowledge that life is far from where we would like it to be, we can simultaneously turn on a sense for self-belief that transcends the lack, and add a gear to our attitude for life.

Belief goes a long way. It is a gospel-based belief that is adopted. Jesus has already overcome the world. If we take courage, acknowledging the difficulty, but not being overcome by it, but holding our heads up, we will climb above the situation, at least as far as the dispiriting nature of the tenuous moment is concerned.

If we are undone by anything at all, when life gets discouraging, it’s because our attitude for a fight is found wanting. When we are tested it’s our opportunity to respond. We have the opportunity to discern how we might address the problem. We aren’t impotent. It’s the enemy of souls that sells us that lie.

We are either our own limit or our own empowerer.

We react in life or we respond. To react is our choice, as it is to respond, but when we react we throw away any control we could have. When we respond – in a way that dictates we have assessed the situation, and only then have we made the best choice of response – we make the best of anything, whether the situation is good, bad, or indifferent.

It’s all about choice. Notwithstanding those who battle with known anxiety disorders, etc – those who don’t have the agency for transcending their situations as much – there is a real degree of control we can exert.

***

No matter how bad things get, we can make it better with our attitude. That’s a joy beyond belief. It’s joy because it’s incredibly empowering. It’s beyond belief because there is a refusal to be defeated. To be defeated we must agree to be defeated.

© 2013 S. J. Wickham.