Why I Love it When God Smacks Me Upside the Head

I woke up this morning with a problem looming over my head. It was not a huge quandary, nor a terribly urgent one. However, it was a bit of unpleasantness that I intended to see resolved. Today. As I showered, I mentally prepared myself for the possible confrontation to come. By the time I’d begun applying my makeup, I was geared up and loaded for bear.

It was in this frame of mind that an unsuspecting friend of mine found me. She had called with a question and instead of getting a simple answer to her query she was verbally accosted by me. I proceeded to share my dilemma and rant about ‘the establishment’, continuing to get increasingly riled.

I hung up the phone feeling slightly guilty. I knew that this had not constituted ‘sharing one another’s burdens’ as our Lord instructs us. No, I had been guilty of verbal vomit—a subject I posted about not long ago. (You can find that post here.)

I picked up the phone again, ready to deal with my conundrum. I was ready to fight, though I didn’t actually expect to get to talk to a real person. All of my previous calls had gone to voice mail and had been seemingly ignored. Surprised, I found myself speaking to a real human being. And within a matter of moments my problem was resolved. That simply.

I felt a little sheepish, and even considered calling my friend to apologize. But I shook it off and decided to just get on with my day. As I sat down to catch up on the latest posts from the blogs I follow I was shocked to see my name in one of the posts.

I had commented yesterday on a post from Today’s Woman in a Proverbs 31 Sort of Way! (You can find her at: http://31todayswoman.wordpress.com) She had written a lovely piece about finding our motivation by seeking joy in our daily lives. Her post ended with the question, “How do you find joy in the Lord in your life?” I had responded thus:

“Beautifully said! How do I find the joy of the Lord? I think you nailed it in one word: seeking. If I actively look for the joy in my life, it is there. It is no less available if I do not seek it, I simply miss out on enjoying it. (Does that make any sense at all?) Nice reminder to seek His joy today. Thanks!”

When I opened her post for today, I was floored to see those very words again. She had liked my comment, put a link to my blog and proceeded to take this joy thing even further. She said:

“Once you establish the joy in your life today, go find someone who could use a good dose of joy. Share the celebration. Don’t let others drag you down; lift them up! Each time we open our mouths to speak, we can either lift someone up or tear them down. Use your voice today to share joy!”

I thought of my words to my friend a short time before and I felt the Lord whack me upside the head. How quickly I forget my own convictions when troubles arise. How eager I am to forgo the joy that is available to me at all times.

And I thought of how swiftly I’m willing to drag someone else down

into the mire of worry and stress with me.

Ouch!

I leaped up from my desk and grabbed the phone once more. Laughing, I called my friend and shared what had happened. I asked her forgiveness and we enjoyed several minutes of sweet fellowship.

So, why do I love it when my Lord gives me a celestial spanking? Because at that moment, when I saw my own words mocking me from the computer screen, I felt loved. The God of the universe cared enough about me, Rebeca Jones, to call me to the carpet when I had blown it. This is no uncaring, emotionally distant deity. This is my Abba Father gently guiding back to a better path.

And that, my friends, fills me with a joy unlike any other. That is motivation to celebrate, yes?