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I’ll never forget those Lamaze classes. I don’t know if they still have them around, but back in the day, they were practically a rite of passage for new moms. The minute that bun began to rise in the oven, you grabbed a pen and signed up—no question about it. After all, how else were we supposed to learn how to breathe?

Now, I have to admit, we didn’t make it to every session. But I do remember that first class. After a few breathing exercises, the instructor asked each of us to share what we were most looking forward to. Some moms talked about newborn snuggles, tiny baby clothes, and that intoxicating new-baby smell. But me? I was looking forward to labor.

I know. What was I thinking, right? But there was something about it that fascinated me. Yes, I knew it would be painful, but there was also beauty in the process. It’s not every day you bring a new life into the world.

As it turns out, I never did get the full experience of labor, but I did walk through my fair share of pain—nine grueling hours before they called for an emergency c-section. In the moment, it felt like forever, like the pain would never end. But then—just like that—our son was in my arms. And in that instant, the struggle was swallowed up in joy. Every contraction, every ounce of exhaustion—it had all led to that one beautiful moment.

And isn’t that the mystery of joy? How it can co-exist with struggle? How we can walk through the deepest pain and still, somehow, be willing to do it all over again?

That’s what I thought about when I read Hebrews 12:2:

“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

 Do you see it? The joy wasn’t separate from the suffering—it was right there in it. It was what carried Him through. It was what gave Him endurance. And if we’re not careful, we’ll miss it. We’ll think joy is something we have to wait for, something on the other side of our pain. But joy isn’t just at the finish line—it’s in the process.

You see, joy isn’t absent in our suffering, but it may not always feel the way we expect it to. That’s where we get it wrong sometimes. We assume that if we’re suffering, joy must be missing. But sorrow and joy aren’t mutually exclusive. We don’t trade one for the other, like swapping out a sad day for a happy one. In fact, some days, they walk hand in hand. 

When Jesus stood at Lazarus’ tomb, He wept (John 11:35). Fully God, fully man—He felt that sorrow deeply. And yet, His joy never wavered. Not because the pain wasn’t real, but because His confidence in the Father was unshaken.

Maybe the reason joy doesn’t always feel the way we expect it to is that we confuse it with happiness—that rush of excitement we feel when life is going our way. But joy? Joy isn’t about escaping the hard things. It’s about knowing that even in the hard things, God is still good. And pain? Pain doesn’t get the final say.

If you’re in a season of sorrow right now, don’t let the enemy convince you that this is where your story ends. God’s presence is not diminished by your pain—He is right there in the middle of it, strengthening you, sustaining you, reminding you that His joy is still alive in you. So fix your eyes on Him. Trust that even when you can’t see the way forward, He is leading you through. His joy is unshaken, His promises are sure, and His grace is enough for this moment—and every moment to come.

This Week’s Printable

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