Joy or Despair?

Have you seen the Sears commercials where Brett Farve is trying to decide whether to buy the flat screen TV or not? You can check it out at Brett & Sears

I love it. I particularly get a kick out of him making fun of himself and the yearly question: Will he play again or not?

Will he? The jury is still out.

Many of us struggle at times with making choices, decisions, etc.

“Yes” or “No”

“I will” or “I won’t”

If you have kids, then you know what I mean when I say parents can sometimes be real good at not making decisions–we can really excel at giving vague evasive answers.

Sometimes you just have to make a choice. Here on the coast we have a saying that rings true: Fish or cut bait!

Last night, I picked up my 20 year old son, Cole, held him in my arms and laid him in his bed just like you would a baby. It broke my heart then and it breaks my heart now. But rather than drag you down into my grief and anguish, you need to know there is a choice. It’s mine to make in this situation and it is yours to make in countless others.

“Joy” or “Despair”?

I choose joy. And it is a choice. It is a conscious choice one sometimes has to work hard at attaining, but it is a choice nevertheless.

I choose joy. It’s not a giddy, Pollyanna joy that fades like the fog on a misty Mississippi morning when the sun finally breaks through.

I choose joy. And it’s a joy that lasts because it is a joy built upon trust in the Lord.

In the words of Nehemiah, “Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10b)

I choose joy. You may hear me mumbling that under my breath as a reminder against despair…

I choose joy.

Les, Jr.

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