Why Finding Joy Is Easier Than You Might Think

Right before Christmas, I found myself once again in a doctor’s office being told “We found a suspicious area and we will need to biopsy it.” This would be my third breast biopsy.

I remember thinking of how I would do anything to fast-forward that week to get to the results.

It made me think about all the times in my life when I have said some version of “when I just get this over, I can relax…” “If I just get this week over, life will be easier.” “Once I finish all these appointments today, I can enjoy myself.”

I love a good “before and after” but life isn’t always that simple. I’m realizing that the main beauty of life is the journey from “before” to “after.” 

Sometimes, I race through a project for that little dopamine hit when I can finally say I’m done. But rushing ahead leaves me tired and stressed, and I don’t enjoy the results as much as I envisioned.

But the most pleasure in furniture painting and life is actually found along the journey, in taking our time and savoring each step, even those that aren’t our favorite.

The same can be said about enjoying the presence of God along life’s path.

The joy that I thought I would feel by achieving and acquiring was actually there all along.

The things that I thought would make me happy don’t or the joy doesn’t last.  The flame burns out faster than I can savor its presence. 

Instead, I’m learning to focus my attention on the light that burns bright inside my heart even now.

It’s not found in achievements or “making it through this week.” But the joy was here all along in God’s presence.

Just like with painting a piece of furniture, taking your time and savoring each step makes the process more enjoyable than rushing ahead.

The same can be said in life’s journey. Even on the hard days, you can find joy because of God is holding your hand through every step.

In the past, I thought that maybe joy was found in seeking mental health or peace. While those are both good things, they are byproducts of growing closer to God.

God has made you for a great purpose and He has tailor-made a plan for each of his children.  No matter how far out on a limb you find yourself, as long as you are clinging to Him, you are in the safest place you can possibly be.

There will still be hard times, but we can have security knowing He will always with us and we can count on His goodness.

When we stop and “stay with ourselves” without hustling or rushing ahead, we can play, take a deep breath, and see that God was waiting for us, arms open wide, all along.

“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Psalm 16:11

Joy isn’t found in climbing the next mountain in life but in walking with Him along the hike.

When we seek after the gifts of God, we will always come up short, missing the mark for what we envisioned as a fulfilled life. But when we seek God and a relationship with Him, we find that what we were searching for was hidden in Him all along.

Whatever you might be facing right now, know that you are held in the hands of God and that you are perfectly and utterly safe.

My Test Results:

Fortunately, the results were benign. But the experience has put me on a path to finding out that I have a very high risk of developing breast cancer.

Because of my high-risk percentage, I’m in the process of scheduling a prophylactic double mastectomy (with reconstruction) this summer on June 18, 2025. You can read more about that here.