By: Diego Gomes
When was the last time you experienced a moment so joyful that it left you exultant? At some point in life, we have all encountered moments of happiness so intense that we wished they would never end.
Yet, for many, happiness comes hand in hand with a subtle fear — the apprehension that something bad might be just around the corner. We dread the thought of anything interrupting a season of achievements and contentment. Perhaps this fear is rooted in past traumas, in tragedies that blindsided us without warning, or simply in anxiety itself. Whatever the cause, this fear is a cunning thief of joy.
We all have stories of times when sadness swept over us like an unstoppable tide. Everything seemed to be going well —until, without warning, a storm broke loose. A heart that was once calm became a whirlwind of emotions.
Sadness can stem from countless sources. Perhaps an unexpected loss left you paralyzed, or an unspoken grief slowly consumed you. Maybe it was disappointment when your hopes were high, or a betrayal from someone you never would have suspected — after all, isn’t that how betrayals usually happen?
Suddenly, when we least expect it, a flood of negative emotions overtakes the heart. There are seasons in life when suffering piles up so relentlessly that we feel like Job. The weight of it all can be unbearable, and the fear that grips us is that the dark days may never end.
In moments like these, our deepest prayer is for the season of ashes and sorrow to pass quickly, for joy to rise again on the horizon like the dawn of a hopeful new day.
A few years ago, I went through one of the darkest seasons of my life. At one point, I truly felt like Job — I even wished for death. Yet, by His grace and mercy, God sustained me. Even so, there were days when simply getting out of bed felt like an uphill battle.
Amid that dark night of the soul, I was caught off guard by an unexpected moment of joy. After a long and painful storm, a group of people — whom I considered friends at the time — put their faith in me when I was at my lowest. They gathered around me, made promises, poured out words of encouragement, and helped me believe that I was not beyond redemption.
After one of those meetings, I finally tasted the joy of a new season of calm breaking over the horizon. But then, someone very dear to me uttered the dreaded phrase that strike fear into even the most composed of hearts: “We need to talk.”
Within moments, I was hit with devastating news. Without the slightest warning, there I was again, drowning in sorrow.
After that conversation, my heart filled with fear, and my mind was flooded with condemning thoughts: “Will I ever be happy again?” As I walked home, the Holy Spirit whispered a verse into my heart:
“…Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10).
That difficult conversation, weeks later, turned out to be the beginning of a great betrayal. Friends who had sat at my table for years abandoned me at the hardest moment of my life. It took me a long time— and many therapy sessions — to process the pain of their broken promises. More than once, I found myself thinking that perhaps it would have been better to remain in the valley than to have been lifted out of it, only to be left stranded again.
The greatest lesson that season taught me was that it is an illusion to believe that life’s seasons are ever pure. We like to think that happiness is immune to the unexpected arrival of sorrow. Likewise, we struggle to believe — or accept — that joy can unexpectedly bloom during pain.
Life is, in truth, a bittersweet experience. A blend of exquisite joys interrupted by unforeseen heartbreaks, or bitter moments shattered by the sudden sweetness of unexpected grace. In this constant dance between storms and stillness, we must learn to navigate life with courage.
The joy of the Lord is not tied to our circumstances; it is anchored in His goodness, which strengthens us.
Jesus warned us that we would face troubles, yet He urged us to take heart! I am learning that joy can — and must —be cultivated in all circumstances, even in suffering. Because we have Christ, who strengthens us, we can learn to be content whatever the situation.
So let us embrace seasons of joy without allowing sorrow to steal our ability to smile. And let us walk through seasons of sorrow with the unshakable hope that joy will come again.
