Joy in ChaosSampl

Midway through my daughter’s freshman year in college, she and I went through a really rough patch, and I bore a great deal of the blame. Often, I reacted rather than listened and made quick assumptions instead of seeking to understand. 

One afternoon, in the middle of an argument, she threw out an incredibly hurtful statement—hurtful, because I knew it was true. Regardless of if or how she meant her words, God used them to shine a light on a deep, unresolved wound in my heart that was negatively impacting my perceptions and relationships. 

In tears one day, I called a friend and shared what had occurred. I felt defective, forced to confront both my behavior and its root. My friend listened, let me cry, then replied, “If God’s letting you feel this, it means He’s walking right with you in this. That means He’ll get you through this.”

Her words gave me hope. Regarding my interaction with my daughter, I fully realized and grieved my sin. But I also understood, in Christ, I had grace, and the promise of a better and more loving me brought joy. 

In the book of Nehemiah, God’s people had experienced something similar. Because of their sin, they’d spent seventy years in exile. When they finally returned to their homeland, they found their beloved city and God’s Temple in ruins. But with diligence and perseverance, they laid stone upon stone until they’d rebuilt both. 

Then they all gathered at the city gate and asked Ezra, the priest to read the book of the law. As he did, they likely understood, perhaps in a way they hadn’t before, that it was their rebellion against God that led to their exile. But they had so much cause for celebration. God had forgiven them, and God was at work. That’s always cause for joy. 

~Jennifer Slattery