The Secret to Rejoicing

In 2018 Barbara and I were asked to go to Czech to teach and mentor students with a local ministry. The lectures out of Philippians and our experiences there became the foundation for my book, Philippians, Finding Joy when Life is Hard.

Between our time in Czech and the publication of the book in August 2023, our lives got very hard. We both lost our mothers in very hard circumstances. The difficulties and confusion of growing racial and political upheaval pressed in. Then the Covid-19 epidemic hit.

Barbara and I both had tough cases, but for me Covid became ‘Long Covid’ with hard, debilitating and puzzling symptoms. My long Covid has not resolved completely. I still struggle some physically. Many of the symptoms I experienced prevented travel and the level of work I had been doing for years. So I needed to leave my Senior Director of Mission role and am now a Senior Advisor with Serge.

We had so many losses, there was so much pain, that honestly, we are wrung out from the struggles. The harder life has become the harder it has been to hold on to joy. So we turned to Philippians, the book of joy. We have found it deeply humbling but also oddly encouraging and hopeful.

As you puzzle through Philippians share the journey into joy with us. Together we can to learn from Philippians more about how rejoicing in Christ brings joy even when life is hard.