The Secret Sauce

Tuesday, February 18, 2014 Posted by Katie

Just like an athlete committed to her game, there have been seasons of challenge and difficulty in which I have had to make a decision to push forward or decide that I had been beat. As I watch the Olympic games, I often wonder what the secret “sauce” is that keeps an athlete committed to the end game.

If something is worth pursuing, one must have a strong reason “WHY”, so that when the going gets tough, you still hang on.

I have had my share of tough seasons.

Financial loss, crushed dreams, frightening illness.

Those can be difficult times for believers. They shouldn’t be, but they can be. They SHOULDN’T BE difficult because you don’t have to dig far in the Bible or even in the personal testimonies of fellow believers to hear stories of miraculous financial provisions, realized dreams, and healing.

Those stories exist. But they are not my stories.

My husband and I have certainly had victories that we can see God’s hand in. And yet…

We are facing our forties and starting our retirement savings over again from scratch.

I have left blood, sweat and tears on the fighting ring “floor” for certain dreams. I am still fighting.

My husband has already had two run-ins with cancer. We are just recovering from a third.

I would love to see an undeniable miracle in my world with respect to these things. But if I wait to shore up my faith with such miracles, I may be waiting a long time.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not discounting the occurrence of miracles, or their impact on the world. Instead, what I am saying is that, for me, the most enduring miracle that God provides is not as much about change in our uncomfortable situation, but rather the promise of JOY in spite of it.

What has kept me pushing forward in my toughest of seasons is the surprising appearance of JOY. What inspires me is when LIFE shows up where, moments before, there was only death. This is the business of God.

For me, this is as simple as a few belly laughs shared with my husband before they wheel him away for surgery. This is the kind of joy that has been promised and present throughout my life, regardless of whatever other troubles have come my way.

This is my secret “sauce”. This is what keeps me unwaveringly following the King of Joy.