Unexplainable Joy

/ Gail Johnson

Yet, I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. Habakkuk 3:18

Good morning!

Have you ever experienced a season of unexplainable joy? You know, those times in your life when it looks as if you have no reason to be joyful. The past ten weeks have been that kind of season for me.

It all began the last Sunday in January when water seeped from the humidifier onto my tile. In less time than it takes to blink, I was on the floor. My foot throbbed from crashing into the riser. Hubby picked me up and sat me on the couch. I began laughing until I was crying. I didn’t know where it was coming from, but my daughter began laughing with me. When I finally stopped laughing, I tried to stand.

Yes, I thought to walk it off.

But, I couldn’t put my foot on the floor. It felt like my entire leg was being drawn forward and upward with an invisible rope.  Furthermore, my daughter thought my third toe looked odd.

Well, yeah!

So the next morning, we were off to see the doctor. And this is where it gets interesting. While waiting for the results of the X-rays, the words of a song about praising the Lord in the storm drifted through my mind. And my reply was, “This isn’t a storm. Now, 2010…that was a storm.”

I will joy Swan

The doctor told me I had indeed fractured my third toe. She prescribed an anti-inflammatory for the joint and sent me home.

After I had reached home, I exited the truck, made my way up the steps, and with the help of the crutches catapulted myself onto the cement walkway. Again, I landed on my backside, but this time my left arm took the weight of the fall. The bulging tendons told me it wasn’t good.

When Lindsay helped me off the ground and onto the couch, I laughed, again! What was I laughing about? I didn’t know. But, my left foot had hit the porch coming down and was no longer pulling upward. That was something. At least, now I could hobble by myself.

I discarded the useless crutches!

Storm? Yeah! I could see the storm clouds now. I could hear the thunder rolling across the skies. But I didn’t see what was waiting on the horizon.

After a week of nothing but sitting on the couch, I opted to go outside for the afternoon with hubby and the girl while they worked on the 4-wheeler. Standing beside the trailer, I saw no danger when suddenly, the 4-wheeler decided to lurch forward. The trailer wheel caught the same leg. Same foot. Yep, that happened.

Last X-rays showed I had two fractured toes and a cracked wrist. And that was just the bones.

After each incident, when the house grew quiet, I would begin my nights with crying—half from the pain and half from the frustration of not being able to tend to my everyday needs. Ever been there, dear reader? By the end of the day, your strength is gone. You’re in a heap on the floor, and He’s all you have left.

It’s a lonely place to be.

But then, the words of that song would drift through my mind, and I could focus on praising Him. Yes, I could see the upside.  I had fallen twice but hadn’t hit my head once. I’ve done the concussion thing, already. Yes, things could’ve been worse. More importantly, God loves me and has rescued me. Blessed be His Holy name. Yes, I could praise Him in this storm.

And in return I received laughter. Through this whole ordeal, there has been an unexplainable joy bubbling inside.

So I ask you, dearest reader, do we have a reason to be joyful in seasons of sorrow, pain, and loss?

23 thoughts on “Unexplainable Joy”

    • He is! The comment was 3 hearts. I loved your post! Such a blessing! My firstborn was a son. We had 4 tears together before my daughter came along. I have strong bonds with them both. Each time I think of Mary at the cross, I think of my relationship with my son and what she must have felt. The Son she delivered, in turn, delivered her! It had to be. But, oh, the pain she must have felt! Blessings to you!

  4. Gail, I praise the Lord for using you as an example of His work through the wilderness of this life, never knowing where we might fall. I posted an article, The Glad Rule, on our blog, with the same thoughts as yours. There is always something for which we can be glad, even in the middle of the worst scenario. Have a blessed day. ~ Fran

  5. Wow, Gail, I’d say you’ve been through a storm. And as you said, Praise God you didn’t land on your head–but you landed on an awesome attitude of joy. ❤ You inspire me. By the way, I love Casting Crowns.
    Blessings & a healing hug ~ Wendy

  6. Talk about adding insult to injury! Wow! I knew you’d had falls, but not all the details. Yes, we must choose to find the joy in those storms. It’s hard, but if we don’t, we just add to the damage. Hope you’re totally healed now!

  7. Praying for you Gail. When things happen and I get frustrated, I tell myself to remember things could be much worse. 🙂 Sometimes that helps me. Prayer helps me, too.

  8. Praying for you dear Gail! I’ve been in your shoes (no pun intended). 🙂 Loved how you wrote, “By the end of the day, your strength is gone. You’re in a heap on the floor and He’s all you have left.” So. True.

  9. It has been one wild ride, Tori! I do hope it’s over. They say laughter is the best medicine. In my case, it has been. Thank you for stopping by, dear friend. Enjoy your week! ❤

  10. Oh my goodness, Gail! What a rough spell. I’m so glad you can laugh about it. Wowza! Sure hope things quiet down for you. No more emergency room visits, okay? Keep smiling! 💟

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