I was reading my devotional this morning and was brought to James 1:2-4

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you maybe mature and complete, not lacking anything.

I hear the rumbles of many. Here she goes again. Face my troubles, preserver and I will be complete, lacking nothing.

Cant we just get a break? Why do we have to face these trials in our life? Some face trials every day. Its hard for them to even get out of bed. Some people around us at the store are facing financial insecurity or the pain of the holiday without a loved one again. I know for me some days the trials I face can feel heavy.

In James 1 the first words read; consider it pure joy. Well sometimes what we go through seems hard enough that looking for joy in the season of trouble is beyond reach. It seems to soon to grab onto joy at this very moment.

No where is this verse does it say; feel the joy like your supposed to experience joy in place of the struggle. Our way to preservice and maturity in Christ is to find glimpses of joy around us. The sun rise, the smile that is sent your way with a nod or giving a Merry Christmas to a passerby.

During this season be the person who gives hope. Hope in the moment. Hope in the joy around us. The light that guides the lost, lonely and hurting to Jesus our Savior in the manger.

Each year during this season of celebration. The celebration of the birth of Our Savior Jesus I am drawn to Luke 2:19. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

Mary knows the great commission her son had been called for. She knew that her son being a human boy would bring her heart aches and oh so, so much joy. The grief and joy she felt when she saw Jesus hanging; her boy hanging on that cross must have felt like her heart was going to explode. Then as Jesus said, He rose again for every person to experience the joy of being loved so much that He conquered death for us.

I think this is what James wanted us to consider. The joy that will rise again within each of us. For each of us to remove the covers and find the joy that God has instore each and every day.