"Sorrow And Joy Are Firmly Linked; How The Lord Brings A New Wind Of Strength To Our Spirits"

April 27, 2006

Jack and Rebecca Sytsema:
"Sorrow And Joy Are Firmly Linked; How The Lord Brings A New Wind Of Strength To Our Spirits"

JOY!

"As I pray for people whose lives have been bruised in some way, often the thing they need to recover is joy.

Our own daughter, Rebecca, and her husband Jack Sytsema, have a severely autistic son. There are many challenges involved with Nicholas, but out of their difficult circumstances, God has laid it on their hearts to minister to and encourage other families with special needs children.... Here is a good example of finding joy in the midst of hardship.

Sincerely,

Doris M. Wagner
Executive Vice President
Global Harvest Ministries


For I have given rest to the weary and joy to the sorrowing. (Jeremiah 31:25)

I STILL REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME our son Nicholas said the word "shoe." While that may not be a big deal for most parents, for me it was one of the most joyful moments of my entire life!

For months upon end we had gone through the same ritual every day: I showed him the shoe and said the word over and over and then said, "This is a sh…" I always paused hopefully, and yet many days I felt the tears well up as I finished the sentence myself. I felt lonely, confused, and unheard by God. "Please," I would plead with God, "Just let him say one word!" And yet, nothing. Day after day, nothing. The well of disappointment in my heart became deeper and deeper.

Then came that miraculous day when, true to the ritual, I said "This is a sh…" and heard our son, diagnosed with nonverbal autism, say, "shoe." Everything within me jumped! I laughed, I wept, I shouted, I hugged him, I thanked God over and over. I told everyone. The joy I felt that day was intense. It was easily as intense as all the pain I had felt each day that he had not responded. Whether or not their child has spoken that first word, almost every parent of a child with autism can relate. There has been some breakthrough somewhere that they have struggled to see. And when it finally comes, the joy cannot be described.

And yet, even though there can be moments of intense joy and victory, most parents of a child with autism, or any number of special needs, understandably don't experience an ongoing lifestyle of joy and victory. More often than not there is grief and sorrow. So here's the big question: Can we live a lifestyle of joy and victory even if we have a child with special needs? I believe the answer to that question is yes.

Sorrow and Joy

Sorrow and joy are firmly linked. Perhaps it is because the deeper we experience sorrow, the more capacity we have for joy. That is why I felt such a deep sense of joy the first time Nicholas said, "shoe." I had felt such deep sorrow each time he did not. I suppose it is similar to hunger. The hungrier we are, the more satisfying a good meal is to us. God knows this. Although right now we may only see the sorrow and tears of the night, God has planned a bright and beautiful morning full of joy. The Bible tells us this over and over:

Weeping may go on all night, but joy comes with the morning. (Psalms 30:5)

You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy.... (Psalms 30:11)

Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest. (Psalms 126:5-6)

I will turn their mourning into joy. I will comfort them and exchange their sorrow for rejoicing. (Jeremiah 31:13)

Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. (John 16: 22)

There are seasons in our life when we will mourn and have sorrow. But, there are also seasons of our life that are meant for joy.

A New Wind of Strength

One reason God may have for bringing joy after a season of sorrow is to bring a new wind of strength to our spirits. Grief and mourning rob us of our strength, both spiritually and physically. There is a weakness that comes from such an emotional and spiritual load. But God knows that joy brings a new vitality and strength, for the joy of the LORD is your strength. (Nehemiah 8:10) Joy produces the kind of strength we need to move forward.

It is often very easy for us to believe that we cannot experience joy until we see this or that breakthrough. We can actually come to the place where we feel disqualified from a life of joy because of the burden we bear. But quite honestly, that is a lie from satan, who is the father of all lies. Satan knows that if he can keep us from experiencing the joy of the Lord, he will keep us in a place of weakness and defeat. Satan has a stake in keeping us separated from the joy of the Lord because it is linked with our strength. If we are sapped of strength, we will have difficulty in moving forward out of the hassles, anxieties, and warfare we are in. Furthermore, we will not have the ability to receive the strategy we need to move into our next season.

We absolutely need the joy of the Lord in order to remain in a place of strength for all that is required of us. God has promised us abundant life, part of which is joy. Here are some ways to help us maintain a joyful, abundant life:

1) Meditation

One of the ways God has provided for our joy is contingent upon our willingness to take time to meditate on His Word. Why? Because if we just read God's Word without taking the time to give it thought, we deny ourselves the opportunity to receive personal revelation, refreshment, and the promises He has for us and our children.

2) Prayer

Prayer is very simply communicating with God. We will never advance in any aspect of our Christian lives without prayer, whether they are prayers of thanksgiving, repentance, supplication, or intercession on someone else's behalf. When we pray, the channels to God open--both ways. To neglect prayer is to neglect God Himself.

3) Fasting

For the Christian, fasting is essential. Often you cannot gain the revelation you need for your next step without it. Even Jesus agreed that some things simply could not be accomplished without fasting. By fasting, we make it possible for the Lord to more powerfully reveal Himself to us. Fasting does not always have to mean food. It may mean other things we enjoy, such as television. When we choose to give up something temporal in order to pursue something eternal (and to the degree to which we allow ourselves to hunger after God) it is to that degree that we will be satisfied by Him and experience His joy.

4) Giving

Giving is the very heart of God. It is linked with worship. We cannot come in to all He has for us in our lives if we are unwilling to give, because we simply cannot reap what we will not sow.

5) Warfare

Whether we like it or not, we are in a war between the powers of darkness and the power of light. There are times when we must enter into warfare-style praying in order to gain the strategy we need to defeat the enemy in whatever battles we face.

6) Worship

Worship is that place where we can come into intimacy with God. Songs and singing may be a catalyst for this, as can prayer or any of the disciplines mentioned. Worship is a lifestyle of focusing our minds and hearts on God and all that He is. It is a response to all He has done for us, and is essential to living in joy.

7) Work

There is a time to work. Many times we can speak to the mountain and see it removed, and other times we have to dig through it to get to the other side. That is what I call spiritual work. Most parents of children with autism that I have met understand this and are great at working for their child's recovery.

8) Rest

Rest is so essential to regaining strength. In that way, it is linked with joy. We need rest for several reasons. First, it is a matter of obedience to God. He commanded us to do so in the 10 Commandments through the observance of the Sabbath. Second, rest is an issue of trust in God. If we are at rest, God is going to have to "watch the stuff" for us as we regain our strength. Third, it is a matter of our physical well-being. Fourth, God created rest for us to stop and meditate on Him. Fifth, it is from this time of quietness that we can receive revelation and strategy for moving forward toward victory.

It is our prayer for you that you will allow the Lord to bless you with abundant life, great joy, and a fresh wind of strength that will carry you and your family through to victorious days ahead!

(Note: This is an excerpt from a message which aired April 2, 2006 on Autism One Radio.)

By Jack and Rebecca Sytsema