Impossible Joy

…How Trust Changes Everything

Are all things really possible? Truthfully, I’m just not sure they are. Have you ever walked into Target for ‘just one thing’ and walked out with just the one thing? I suppose anything is possible, but let’s be real. The temptation can be just too much! Or what about when your team is down by 40, and the announcer says, “The game isn’t over yet!” I’m not much of a sports follower, and even though a comeback could be possible, I’m thinking I probably wouldn’t hold my breath.

To be fair, though, I have shopped at Target and resisted the urge to buy all the things, but I’m not sure I’ve only bought just one item. And I’ve seen some pretty amazing comebacks in games before. So there’s that. But when there is something that feels farther and farther away from ever happening, it’s easy to become skeptical. Or worse, it’s easy to lose hope. And then the idea of all things being possible feels more like wishful thinking. In reality, it feels…impossible.

I know this feeling all too well right now. Relationships can challenge our faith to its extreme. They aren’t always what we think or imagine they will be. It can send us into a continuous spiral of emotions. Our perspective feels anything but balanced and the hurt and pain feel tangible.

In those moments, I can feel like the more I try to hold onto hope, the harder it is to imagine things changing for the good. It’s like I’m grasping at something that’s getting further and further beyond my reach. But with God, we’re promised that anything is possible. Look at this moment Mary experiences with the angel when she’s confused about being told she’s about to become a momma.

“Not one promise from God is empty of power. Nothing is impossible with God.” Luke 1:37 (TPT)

I love that. Not a single promise that God makes is empty of power. I need to weave that promise into every thought and feeling I have. Here’s why. My thoughts and my heart will deceive me of walking in the hope and joy that God has for me. But when God speaks, His promises are effective. What I mean by that is, God’s word carries an intrinsic power to make all things possible. It’s in His very nature.

Speaking of nature, God’s word is connected to the Creation. When He spoke in Genesis, He brought light into existence. He bought the whole world into existence! His words are never empty or powerless. Mary believed His promise. Even when she learned what would happen to Jesus, and that her very soul would feel pierced, she still carried a joy that was rooted in her faith - even in uncertainty, even in sorrow.

I’ll be honest. This is so hard for me. I tend to be a wear-my-heart-on-my-sleeve girl. This does not always serve me well. I don’t feel or look joy-filled. But as I was writing these words, it dawned on me that joy looks different at any given moment for each one of us. Sometimes it might be a deep peace or a quiet trust in the middle of those unsettled moments and seasons. Other times it’s when we choose to worship even when our tears flow without permission.

It’s in those moments that I can feel a true sense of God’s divine authority through His word. Often times human words, even the ones with the very best of intentions, can end up being empty promises, exaggerated hopes, or the things that we flippantly say in the moment. But God’s word never lacks the power to fulfill His promises or His purpose.

Mary didn’t deny the hard parts of her calling, but she also didn’t let them steal her faith, or her ability to keep going. Maybe that’s part of what God is reminding you and me of, too—that joy and sorrow can exist together, and that hope isn’t the absence of pain, but the presence of trust.

So maybe the question isn't just, 'Are all things really possible?' but "Am I willing to trust God even when it feels impossible?' It can be hard, and sometimes it can be scary to try landing on trust, but there is nothing that we go through that God isn't already a part of. I'm right here with you asking myself the same question.