Restore the Joy
Chaplain Wade Graber
June 30, 2020
Hey Team CareGivers (TCG Family and Friends)!
Yesterday was filled with all kinds of messages and quotes about joy. “The Joy of the Lord is My Strength” chorus bounced
in and out of my brain. I read The Voice of the Martyrs report that Mary Sankagui had “a deep sense of joy”, just days after
her husband was martyred. A devotion for June 29th included the thoughts: “Just as water is necessary for seeds to grow into
plants, your tears help you grow into a stronger, more joyful Christian. Your willingness to share in the sorrow of this deeply fallen
world gives you depth and compassion. It also enlarges your capacity for Joy—your ability to enjoy Me in good times and tough
times.”
And then there are several lyrics of the Psalms and other verses that caught my attention: “Let those who love Your name be joyful in You…
In Your presence is fullness of joy…Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning…Restore to me the joy of Your salvation…
Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy…Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Joy is not one of those things that I see highlighted in this weird and wacky world. It is counter-intuitive to sing praises when we are sad,
to shout joyfully when we are grieved, to rejoice when trials come our way, or to experience joy during pandemics and riots. But, genuine joy
is not limited to the positive, encouraging, and good things we encounter in life. Real joy is not removed or destroyed by the negativity of the world or circumstances. Through all of the craziness of the world and the personal trials and triumphs, God promises an inexpressible and excessive joy.
I hope that we can discover and celebrate this phenomenal joy!
In Him,
Wade
Chaplain Wade Graber
After serving as a church pastor for over four decades, Wade is now the director of Graber Ministries and the corporate Chaplain for TCG Services. Wade’s caregiving ministries take him to co-worker’s desks, down the street to local businesses, online to share life with clients, around the US, and across the ocean for church planting (primarily in Liberia), and sharing his writings and songs about “The Mission of the Holy Spirit."