Our Joy Doesn't Wait For Rest
Finding joy IN the tired, not after it.
For so long, I always thought joy was waiting for me on the other side of rest.
“Once I’m not tired anymore, THEN I’ll be joyful.”
“Once I’ve caught up on sleep, THEN I’ll feel like myself again.”
“Once this season of exhaustion passes, THEN joy will show up like a guest who finally made it to the party.”
But joy never came.
Not because it wasn’t real, but because I was looking for it in all the wrong places.
I was waiting for exhaustion to leave before I invited joy in.
Like they couldn’t exist in the same room.
Like my tired was too big for joy to fit.
Then one Tuesday morning, while I was dragging myself through the grocery store in sweatpants and a baseball cap, teeth half-brushed, face splashed with water and wiped dry (both yucks, I know), my phone buzzed.
Here I was, looking like I had just rolled straight out of bed, doing my best not to be noticed or seen by a single living soul…and my phone buzzed!
It was a voice message from a very dear friend: “Hey, I was praying for you this morning and I just wanted you to know.”
And standing there in the middle of the produce aisle, exhausted and honestly wanting nothing more than to go back home and crawl into bed, I felt it.
Tears began to form because I recognized that feeling, yet lately I hadn’t given myself space for it.
Joy.
Not the confetti-and-fireworks kind. The quiet, steady, “somebody sees me” kind.
The kind that doesn’t care what you look like or whether you remembered to brush all your teeth.
Our joy doesn’t wait for rest.
It shows up in the tired.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”
— James 1:2–3
When Your Feelings Tell You Otherwise...
The exhaustion tells you:
“Joy is for people who have their lives together.”
“You can’t be joyful and tired at the same time.”
“Something must be wrong with you if you can’t feel happy.”
“Joy will come later. Right now, just grind and survive.”
I believed every one of those for longer than I want to admit. I kept putting joy on layaway…“I’ll pick it up when life calms down.”
But life never calmed down. And joy was never meant to be postponed.
I was the woman in the baseball cap and sweatpants who almost missed it. Almost scrolled past the voice message. Almost let the exhaustion convince me that I didn’t deserve to feel anything good until I had my life back in order.
But joy doesn’t wait for order.
It interrupts the mess.
✨ Coming soon: “Remedies for The 7 Faces of Exhaustion™” ✨
The Deeper Truth
James doesn’t say “Consider it pure joy when your trials are over.” He says “when you FACE trials.”
In the middle.
During.
While it’s still happening.
That changes everything.
Joy in Scripture is never dependent on circumstances. It’s dependent on connection.
On the presence of God in the middle of the mess.
Paul wrote some of his most joy-filled letters from prison.
David wrote psalms of praise while hiding in caves.
Hannah worshipped before her prayer was answered.
Joy isn’t the absence of struggle. It’s the presence of God ‘IN’ the struggle. And He is present.
Even now.
Even here.
Even in the sweatpants-and-baseball-cap moments when you’re hoping nobody from work, school or even church sees you in the produce aisle.
“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”
— Psalm 16:11
Joy in His presence.
Not joy in His fix.
Not joy in His removal of your problems.
Joy in His presence.
Which means you can have it right now!
Tired and all.
That Tuesday in the grocery store, God didn’t fix my exhaustion.
He didn’t clear my schedule or deposit energy into my empty tank.
He sent a friend’s voice into my phone to remind me I was seen.
That was it.
That was enough.
Joy showed up not because my circumstances changed, but because His presence broke through.
His presence broke through via my friend who was ‘souled’ out for Christ, whose words I trusted when she spoke.
And her voicemail meant everything to me.
What This Means for You
Sweet friend, stop waiting for the tired to leave before you let the joy in.
Joy isn’t the prize at the end of the exhaustion tunnel.
It’s the light inside it.
Look for it today:
In the friend who texts or leaves a voicemail at the right moment,
In the sun hitting your face while you wait in the carpool line.
In the child’s laughter you almost missed because you were scrolling.
In the breath prayer you whisper when nobody’s watching.
In the produce aisle on a Tuesday when you look your absolute worst and God whispers, “I see you. And I’m here.”
Our joy is already here!
We just have to stop telling ourselves we’re too tired to notice it.
Remember This Truth
Joy is not the absence of exhaustion.
It’s the presence of God in the middle of it.
You don’t have to choose between tired and joyful. You can be both.
And both is holy.
Stop putting joy on layaway. It was already paid for.
In full. On a cross.
And it’s yours today, sweatpants and all.
An Invitation
This week, I want you to go on a joy hunt.
Every day, name one moment of joy.
Not happiness.
Not everything-is-perfect bliss.
Just one small, quiet moment where you felt God’s presence.
Where something made your soul exhale.
Where joy showed up uninvited and didn’t care that you weren’t ready for company.
Write it down. By the end of the week, you’ll have a list that proves our joy doesn’t wait for rest.
It meets us in the middle.
📣Reply or leave a comment and tell me: “Where did joy show up for you today?” I’d love to celebrate it with you.
Joyfully yours,
“From my heart to yours, thank you for reading. 💖
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I learned the huge difference between having joy and being happy through many trials and tribulations. Empowered by Joy is knowing and believing that our Father God loves us and our Lord Jesus Christ is in control being empowered by the Holy Spirit regardless of how we emotionally and physically feel. Happiness is being delightful when things are going well. Love this publication❣️ The Joy of the Lord is truly our strength, regardless of what situation we are dealing with❣️🙏
I love this take on joy! Thank you!
Joy came to me in spending time with my mama all day today. We went to church, had lunch together, visited my Dad’s site, and took my car for a much needed car wash. It’s the little things that bring so much joy! It doesn’t need to be grand moments.