10 Days of Unspeakable JoySample

He Gives You Beauty for Ashes

Sometimes, life is not joyful, but remember joy comes from within. In my life, I have been handed literal ashes, two boxes containing ashes from the bodies of people that I loved very much. As I was holding those small boxes of ashes that, only a week before, were the living bodies of my mom and my brother, the pain I felt in my heart was indescribable, but in that moment, again, I had a choice. Do I allow circumstances and the enemy to dictate my life? The enemy gave me these ashes, not God. So, in that moment of deep sadness, I traded God my ashes for His crown of beauty. As I was weeping before the Lord and holding the cremated bodies of ashes, I cried out to a loving God, “Lord, I thank you, because this sadness that I feel deep in my soul, you’re taking it now, because I am giving it to you! I accept the clothes of joy!” In those moments, I would feel the Holy Ghost comfort me. I chose to hold on to God’s word, like an anchor for my soul, during a time my heart was hurting. I had to choose faith, not my emotions, if I wanted to get through that time with my joy untouched. God brought me through that time in my life, and it was a direct result of my choosing to take what God said for me and believe it over my emotions. My emotions were mad, angry . . .sad. In life, we go through storms. Jesus said we would. That storm can quickly cease with words. Jesus calmed the storm when He said, “peace, be still” (Mark 4:39 KJV).

Application time: Write down where in your life have you been handed “ashes." I challenge you today, hand them to God and receive, by faith, your crown of beauty. Receive your dancing instead of mourning. Right now, get up and dance! Watch the joy of the Lord bubble up inside of you and overflow!

Warning: Be careful when dancing, hahaha. When I let my husband proofread this journal, after this entry, he got up and starting dancing all over the house. He then tripped over the bedpost and hurt his ankle. We were on the ground rolling, laughing together with tears! It was so funny!