“Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul. Do not anger again because of mine enemies. Do not slacken my strength because of mine afflictions. Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation.” (2 Nephi 4:28-30)
At this time in Nephi’s life, things aren’t going well. His father has just passed away. Nephi had a great relationship with his father so I am certain this loss was painful for him. His father was also his spiritual leader and Nephi was now taking on that role for his family, which must have weighed heavily on him. As he began to act in that new role, his brothers, once again, became angry with him. At this time he just didn’t feel like rejoicing. So what did he do? He prayed. He asked for joy. He prayed for his heart to rejoice. He looked for the good and tried to be grateful for all he had, but when he still couldn’t muster up the strength to be joyful, he prayed for help.
We all go through times when our circumstances don’t leave a lot of room for joy. It is easy to look at our situation and see the list of reasons why we should be unhappy. Every day is filled with stressors and bad news. There is hurt all around us and life is hard! A lot of times we just don’t feel like rejoicing. And while it is definitely ok to feel sad, hurt, angry, or alone and we shouldn’t shy away from these “negative” emotions, we came to this earth, ultimately, to have joy and happiness. It is up to us to seek the good, find the joy, be grateful and when we are having a hard time getting there, ask for help. Our Father is waiting with open arms to carry us through the pain and help us find the joy.
Meditation and Journaling Prompt: How do you feel today? Do you feel like rejoicing? Why or why not?
Call to Action: Find something you can rejoice in today, no matter how small it is. Pray for help.
Mindfulness Tip: Check in with your emotions today. Do not judge them as good or bad, just notice them and let yourself feel them. As my grandmother once told me, “You get to feel how you feel!”
