“Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face” – Victor Hugo

Sometimes, it is hard to laugh; hard to find the joy in the moment or the day. Circumstances mixed with our emotional position can deeply affect our mood and our feelings, leaving us without the feeling of joy or a desire to laugh.

This morning, I awoke with the gift of a Christmas cold. It was not the gift I was looking for, and after a week healing from my recent fall and battling a stomach flu, I could have done without it. My energy was sapped and with it, my creativity and desire to do much of anything. I rested on the sofa wishing my sinuses would clear and that the aches and pains would fade. I wasn’t very joyful and I certainly wasn’t laughing.

During some quiet time, while my wife was shopping and my daughter was working on Christmas presents, I paused for some meditation and reflection. I was attempting to take my mind off of how I felt, but it became an epiphany from God. As I sat quietly, I realized that I was beginning to think like a victim. I lamented my aches and pains with the added frustration that this is the holiday season and I wanted to enjoy it, when I asked myself the question, “Then, why don’t you just enjoy it?”

I would have preferred a voice that affirmed my right to pout and was willing to commiserate with me. Instead, I heard the words of the Apostle Paul as he closed his letter to the Philippians, “Rejoice in the Lord always.” I sighed, wondering why that command needed to come to mind at the time, but I already knew the answer. I needed to rejoice and my sense of joy was not dependent upon my circumstances. As I heard someone say, “We rejoice by choice.” The real question was would I make that choice.

It is a harsh reality to accept that feelings follow actions, not the other way around. It would be so much easier if we could blame our attitudes and actions on our circumstances or on others. If only we could claim that it was all out of our control, but no such scapegoat exists.

I actually began laughing, but I was laughing at myself, at my self-pity and moaning. Sure, I would prefer not to be sick, but it is still the day the Lord has made, and I can choose to rejoice and be glad in it. I actually have so much to be thankful for and to rejoice in. I have people I love and who love me too. I am warm in a region covered in cold and snow, and I food to eat in a world that is filled with hunger. Christmas is still coming and God is still in control. Cards hang on the wall offering their Christmas blessing and I’ve already received some wonderful gifts. I not only have enough, I have more than I need. Above all, this minor virus will pass, but many people, including some close to me, will continue to struggle with serious illnesses.

As I approach the end of the day, I am glad the call to rejoice is written as a command. It is easy to find joy when all is well and going our way, but the real gift of God is finding joy in all of the other circumstances as well. Maybe, it was good for me to be sofa-bound today, because it heightened my awareness and made a way for the Holy Spirit to teach me a valuable lesson.

In this season of joy, I pray that all of us will find the reasons to rejoice because of, or in spite of, our circumstances. As children of God we can, “rejoice in the Lord always,” and always includes right now. May the joy of the Lord overtake you in this season, and may it bring forth the laughter that drives the winter from your face.