The times of tears are so hard!
We would love to skip them altogether, to never have to go through pain or grief or suffering.

The thing is, pain, grief, and suffering are a part of living in this sinful world.

Until Christ returns, we will live through those terminal diagnoses and watch our loved ones grow sicker. We’ll be knocked over by the bad acts of others, having to endure mental anguish as well as any physical harm. We’ll send our loved ones off to fight in wars, even as we stay home and battle. We’ll hear the taunts of an enemy who wants to destroy us.

But, OH! When Jesus comes back???

When He comes back, we’ll be running for the fields that are ready for us, the crops grown and mature, ready for harvest. We’ll be able to see how thick, how plentiful our crop is as we prepare to take up the sickle or crank up the combine.

All those tears will be worth it. The heavy weight of grief will be lifted. The memories of abuse and anger and wrung-out emotions will not only be whisked away, they will be transformed into incomprehensible joy.

But… all that is in the future, right?

Yes.

And no.

We can actually start the harvest now.

Wha-?

Yes! When we forgive the bully who called us every name but our given one, we take up the tools of harvest joy.

When we forgive the one who stole our innocence, we swung the blade, starting the harvest joy.

When we forgive the ones in authority who abused their positions, we move down the rows of joy crops.

When we forgive we turn all the things we’ve wept aching hot tears over to the Lord, and we open the combine, climb in and crank the engine.

Each time we forgive, it gets a little easier so that in time we can forgive in the breath after the offense. Harvest joy!

Joy awaits us, Believers. We can leave it way off in the distant future or we can start now. It’s up to us.

Let’s choose joy today.
Let’s offer forgiveness.
Let’s hand grief, pain, and suffering over to the One who can cast it far away.
Let’s invite Him to heal every area of hurt that lives within us, not erasing the memory, but changing it from trauma to joy.

Let’s choose Him today.

Coffee, Bible, Journal.