Count it as JOY?!

The burrito was perfectly prepared and ready to be heated when I realized that I had, indeed, compiled my masterpiece on TOP of the clear, ziploc burrito bag rather than an actual tortilla. At this point I had a decision to make; cry or laugh! This may strike you as ridiculous, but it had already been one of THOSE mornings and tears hovered not far from the surface. I had to admit, though, it was pretty funny. So I laughed!
Then I proceeded to scrape everything off the bag, rather unceremoniously, smearing it all onto the real-deal tortilla while calling the boys in for lunch. This was a few weeks ago, but I can not stop thinking about that episode in the kitchen! Aren't some days (or weeks, or entire seasons) just exactly like my big mess of burrito ingredients plopped in precisely the wrong place? Maybe the analogy is far too simple, but the choice remains: can we choose joy when things have not gone at all as anticipated?

Crying genes run strong in the females of my family. (Just ask my Mom about the first time we made her watch Shrek. Many tears were involved!) And my journey continues to resemble a roller coaster ride as we transition and move and face unexpected ups and downs. Suffice it to say, my tear ducts have certainly been kept clog-free the past few years! But I have also laughed a lot and it is true what is said about laughter being the best medicine.
Now, obviously, there are situations that truly warrant tears. There are also times where you must choose to press on but there is nothing laughable about circumstances which may truly be horrific or heart breaking. I completely understand and I am not making light of those hardships! In real-life scenarios that involve relationships and enormous difficulties, not just a refried bean 'disaster', the decision may change from one of choosing laughter to that of choosing perseverance. That word seems to be following me around the past few weeks. (I'm actually hoping that the writing of this post will help me fully grasp the lesson I need to learn so I can stop seeing that word pop up, literally, on every page I turn!)

'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 may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.' James 1:2-4
I've been digging deeper into this command found in James; these instructions to 'consider it pure joy..' Because, honestly, it's easy to wonder how 'pure joy' belongs in the same sentence as 'facing trials of many kinds'? But joy and happiness are not synonymous; I do not believe we are to conjure up fake feelings when life is hard. This joy command goes much deeper; it is a 'big picture' concept. I stumbled across this explanation at BibleRef.com, 'The word "count" is used in some translations instead of "consider". This is an accounting term.. James is implying that we should enter our hardships as deposits into the checkbook of our life, not withdrawals.'
Deposits not withdrawals; the choice is ours to make! Wow. We all ride the roller coaster of life, often overwhelmed by our ever changing circumstances or the hardships which tend to take us completely by surprise. And while we may not have any say over some of the trials we must face, we DO get to choose our reaction. And even beyond a reaction, because sometimes tears or frustration are inevitable, we can decide how to 'count' that trial as we tally up our life.

The description at BibleRef goes on to say, 'we can decide how we will describe any moment to ourselves... how we think about our circumstances.' And those thoughts will undoubtedly fuel the fire within us, whether that is our resolve to persevere OR a belief that our struggles are too much or our failures too great- whatever lie the Enemy may have already begun whispering in our ear. But James says that when we conquer that mental battle, choosing to speak truth over our circumstances and count them as joy, difficult as it may be, the testing of our faith will produce perseverance. Here's the definition, in case you're a word nerd like I am:

per·se·ver·ance  noun  

:steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.

We are talking about the ability to stay the course, commitment in the midst of hardship. This is a persistence to keep trying after you've failed a time or two (or a hundred)! Will we continue to put one foot in front of the other regardless of how deeply weary or desperately lonely we may feel? Perseverance is continuing to run the race even after we realize that life is a legitimate marathon, not just a 5K!

So the question remains: how will we 'count' this season we are currently journeying through? Where do we file the details of life that are, at first glance, annoying or inconvenient or frustrating. How about the trials that have absolutely rocked our worlds? Can we count it all as pure joy, knowing that while the pain may be unspeakable, the hardships daunting, and the unknowns frustrating, they can produce in us perseverance which, if allowed to do its work, will make us mature and complete. Oh, to be complete; perfection in Christ. That is what we are running towards, my friends!
'Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.' James 1:12
Arriving at that crown, the compete maturity, and a glorious eternity with the Lover of our souls requires perseverance in the here and now! It starts with the little things; choosing to laugh over a burrito disaster, seeing beauty in the face of a clingy child, finding purpose in the endlessly mundane tasks you face each day. But your maturing ability to 'count it all joy' will grow into a mighty force to be reckoned with; a perseverance rooted deep within, built up over time as we face the trials of life and learn to count them as, yes, JOY!
'..And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 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.' Hebrews 12:1-2