I am on yet another book launch team! This opportunity came
about through the recommendation of a friend, and let me tell you, I’m so glad
I was chosen to read this book at this time in my life. Choose Joy is the story
of Sara Frankl, ill with three different diseases: ankylosing spondylitis (an
autoimmune disease), leukopenia, and for a time, Cushing’s disease. Because of
these diagnoses, Sara spent much of her adult life in isolation, needing to
remain inside her home to reduce symptoms of these diseases. She gave up her
job, her hobbies and interests, and her ability to be around other people
because of the effects of their germs making her more ill. So she turned to
blogging as a way to continue writing, although it was no longer her job.
Much of Sara’s story was so full of love for the Lord, her friends, and
family. Her story is marked by trusting in the Lord for finding her life’s purpose in the midst of
being isolated from her community in many ways. It really spoke to me, as
someone who has just picked up and moved across the world, not able to enjoy
the same closeness with my community that I have had previously, because of distance.
“But I don’t have to be without community. I don’t have to
choose longing instead of living. Because we are gathered in his name, because
we love and believe with hearts that love God more than ourselves, we are a
community. A living, breathing community that has learned how to share our
lives over any distance. Jesus told us to do this life together, as a
community. And because of him, there are no boundaries. There is only the
common bond of belief and love.” -Choose Joy
Her absolute certainty about God using her in any capacity
is truly inspiring. Many days, she was not even able to do much more than get
up out of bed to eat and use the bathroom. But God used her words, her Skype
sessions, her phone calls with friends for His glory, every day, for the rest
of her life. Oh, to have confidence like that- to be completely confident that
everything in life is being used for His glory. This book caused me to reflect
and reframe what it is that God is doing through me- not just at Naomi’s
Village and Cornerstone Prep- but also in the lives of friends in the states,
friends here in Kenya, and friends on the field in other parts of the world.
Distance shouldn’t matter. It does change things sometimes, and makes certain
events and milestones feel different- but it doesn’t mean I have to be
different in regards to my community. I can choose joy each day. I can initiate
and reach out to those in my community all around the world and be the kind of
friend that I would love to have, the kind of friend that I do have in two or
three people.
Sara also mourned the realization that she would never be a
wife or a mom, but she rejoiced in the fact that she got to mother so many
nieces and nephews and friend’s children too. In every difficult moment, she
found a way to turn that difficulty into a prayer of gratitude.
“I’ve stopped trying to compromise between what I want and
what I have- and I’ve learned instead to want what I’m given. By removing the
expectations I placed on my life, I’ve come to appreciate the moments He’s
entrusted to me. It doesn’t make the journey easy. But it does make it
worthwhile.” -Choose Joy
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