Can Joy Thrive In the Weeds?
If you tend to a flower, it will bloom, no matter how many weeds surround it.
Matshona Dhliwayo
Joyweed is an odd name for the small white bloom with waxy leaves growing on the shores of south Florida. The two words clash, creating an oxy moron. Joy is a trait we seek in life, while weeds are a nuisance we’d rather live without.
The flower’s name instantly reminded me of the children I met on a mission trip to Barahona, Dominican Republic. Never have I known a more joyful group, and never have I witnessed such dire living conditions. I worked with a group intent on making local drinking water safe. My daughter assisted doctors providing healthcare for people who walked miles for services.
Children romped over the grounds where our crew was based. Active and full of fun, they loved American visitors. Joy spilled from their shining eyes like the moonlight that shimmered across Neiba Bay, off the Caribbean Sea.
Whenever I took a break, a couple of kids crawled onto my lap to try on my sunglasses. Others stood behind me and braided my “yellow” hair. We tossed a dusty ball around. Two grinning boys showed off a new toy. Someone had converted a single serving milk carton into a makeshift vehicle by attaching four plastic twist-off bottle caps to the corners of the carton to serve as wheels. The boys proudly demonstrated how string looped through the top allowed them to pull the car across the dirt lot. Heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time.
Weeds are like poverty—invasive and ugly. They can choke life out of all they touch. Yet, here in this place of destitution, joy thrived.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds.
James 1:2 NIV
You and I have never faced poverty like the children of Barahona live with every day, but seasons of loss and fear will find us. With God, we can rejoice through trials. Joy is the fruit of a right relationship with Christ and cannot be created by our own efforts.
When we place our faith in Christ, He reveals Himself as a treasure that trumps loss, as a force that thrashes fear. That’s how joy thrives when we’re “in the weeds.”
Jesus, help us realize that trials can and should be met with joy as we are strengthened in the knowledge that You are near.
Weeds are like poverty—invasive and ugly. They can choke life out of all they touch. Yet, here in this place of destitution, joy thrived. #joy #joyweed Share on X“In the weeds” is an idiom used to describe someone who is overwhelmed with problems or overloaded with work. What helps you maintain joy when you’re in the weeds?
I follow the same pathway to joy through the weeds as others who’ve already commented: worship (especially with songs and hymns), gratitude, and finding something worthwhile to do that occupies the mind–like reading edifying blog posts (!) that shift my perspective toward what is praiseworthy and excellent! (Not that I’m always 100% successful at keeping the weeds at bay. They can be awfully stubborn sometimes.)
We definitely have to stay on top of those weeds. But the work always makes us stronger. Thanks for stopping by!
Joy in the midst of destitution is a beautiful thing to experience. I’ve been to Malawi, Africa, twice and the people amazed me with their joyful singing and celebration of life. Such warmth and generosity!
It’s experiences such as those that reminds me to keep my circumstances in perspective. Thank you, LuAnn,
What a blessing. We do learn so much from these kink of trips. The joy of Christ can fill hearts in any circumstance which encourages me to seek that kind of joy even when my life is not what I want it to be. Thanks Candyce
Mission trips can shift our paradigm for sure, and so can ministries in our own communities. Consider it all a blessing.
Thanks for sharing about ways to remain joyful even in tough times. We have so much to be thankful for, and when we focus on what we do have, instead of what we don’t, it provides perspective that leads to joy!
Thanks Joanna. And the bed things we have are gifts from God.
I use a meditation (Lectio 365) which calls me to recenter my scattered senses before I begin. This also reminds me when I am “in the weeds” to go back to Truth. Thanks for a good parallel today to draw us to right thinking..
“Scattered senses.” I’ve never heard that term, but I understood immediately what it means because it perfectly describes what becoming discombobulated feels like – when our thoughts are so scattered we can’t focus on any one thing. Meditation is a great tool to use for pulling ourselves from the weeds. Thanks for sharing this idea!
As a farm and garden girl, I’ll readily agree that weeds are a pain. They have some good qualities–tenacity, toughness, and the ability to thrive anywhere, but their negative qualities make them the bane of a gardener’s existence–they choke out the other plants, steal the nutrients from flowers and vegetables, and overpower the flowers with ugliness. Sort of a mirror of life, I think. Thanks for your thought provoking message.
Katherine, I hadn’t thought of weed as mirroring life, but they absolutely do if we are the “flower.” Weeds are symbolic of what the world can do to us if we don’t fight back with God’s truth. Thanks for your thoughtful comment. I visited an apple orchard yesterday and thought of you and the bounty of apple goodness you’ve been sharing.
Some days are easier than others when it come to pulling myself up out of the weeds. Like you, I’ve visited destitute lands, and I often remind myself of how blessed I truly am. Most of the time I simply think of Jesus and who he is to me, and I know I am blessed indeed. Blessings, Candyce.
We all have those difficult days, Terri, but with the hope of God in our heart we prevail. We are blessed indeed in so many ways. Enjoy fall!
What a wonderful and heartwarming experience and a good lesson for us who mostly live with such wealth to be joyful and thankful to God in all circumstances.
We sometimes need a reminder of God’s goodness. We – or I – tend to take His gifts for granted sometimes and focus instead on life’s challenges. Thank you, Kathy.
What a heartwarming post Ms. Candyce, and a great reminder ma’am that we are to embrace Paul’s words in Philippians 4:12. Joy is not based on our circumstances, it is a gift of God. Thank you for this delightful post ma’am.
Thank you kindly, sir. Joy is, indeed, one of God’s numerous gifts available to us if we accept Him.
Blessings to you and yours!
Thanks for sharing this touching post, Candyce. When we focus on what we are given instead of what we don’t have, the joy does shine through.
I like the way you worded this, Barbara. It’s all a matter of perspective, and keeping our eyes on the prize to come. Happy Fall!
Candyce, I have never heard about ‘joyweed’ before. Thank you for the inspirational devo that helps us identify as believers; our joy is found only in the Lord. And our joy, as you say, thrives in the weeds when we allow HIM to shine through us. Blessings, my friend.
The unusual name for a flower captured my attention, and I had to learn more about it. Lesson learned: life doesn’t have to be pretty for joy to shine through. Thanks for commenting!
When I’m “in the weeds”I find focusing on Jesus, prayer, and counting my blessings help keep the weeds from chocking out my joy.
Counting our blessings is always a good defense against the weeds. We focus on the good rather than the bad, and plus it reminds of how good God has always been to us. Great to hear from you.