In the Bad...

Radiating God's joy isn't only important when we are going through good things in life, but it's just as important to do when we are going through struggles, hardships, and valleys. I've heard this saying for a long time and it's something I always have to remember when I am going though something tough, "God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called." However, I wasn't always able to remember this when going through times where I was broken, bruised, or beaten down. I have had to learn over and over again the importance of and the steps to radiating God's joy in the bad moments of life.

When I was in middle school I lost my grandmother, who was also a friend, to cancer and I just didn't understand how to navigate those feelings. I knew who Jesus was, but at this time I didn't have a personal relationship with him. Less than a year later I lost my best friend to a tragic car accident. After losing her I began attending her youth group every other Wednesday night so I could be around people who knew what it was like to not have her in their life anymore. It was through this group of people and a conference I attended with them a year after her passing where I accepted Jesus and was finally on the road to true restoration and healing.

After accepting Jesus and building a relationship with him is when I was able to learn that no matter what we are going through He is consistently with us. You see, God isn't going to bring you though something that He's not willing to equip or prepare you for and that's why we need to radiate His joy in the bad moments. He is the one who equips us each and every day with the full armor of God so that we can tackle whatever may come at us.

"Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground..." Ephesians 6:13

God doesn't call us because we are equipped, He equips us each individually with the things that we need to help us navigate through the valleys. I want to always remember that the cracks in my clay are because His light is supposed to shine through them. We have a full armor of God so that we can trudge through the valleys, but we have the cracks in our clay so that we can let His joy and His light shine through us even in the darkest of times. It was when I realized this that I was able to radiate His joy when discussing the loss of these two wonderful people in my life, but it's also helped me rely on Him more as I go through valleys and seasons of life that challenge me. Radiating His joy in the struggles is usually never the easiest thing to accomplish, but it is the most rewarding because you are able to show those around you that God is good no matter what may be going on in your life.

As you continue learning how to Radiate Joy I challenge you to always remember that God has a purpose and a plan for everything you go through. Stay tuned on how to Radiate Joy in the Unknown.

xoxo,

Rachel Marie