Finding Joy in Sorrow

In a world full of suffering, the declaration that God wants us to be joyful can sound tone-deaf at best or hypocritical at worst. In  An Invitation to Joy , Daniel J. Denk invites readers to cast off hopelessness and rediscover joy. Yet, as Denk reminds us, “we don’t find joy by pursuing joy; we find it by pursuing something else,” namely, the kingdom of God. This joy is not naive optimism but a profound sense of purpose and peace. 
While caring for his beloved wife in her final days, author Daniel shared wisdom of holding onto joy in the midst of suffering. Sharon Denk has since passed, but her legacy of joy lives on through the life of her family. She has and continues to inspire Daniel to share the joy of Jesus wherever he goes.
Finding Joy in Sorrow
by Daniel J. Denk
Is it possible to know joy even in times of sorrow, sadness, and suffering?
I thought I would share some insights from my own present experience. My main role recently has been primary caregiver (with wonderful help from family and friends) for my wife of 56 years, who was in hospice care at home with stage-four breast cancer. On Wednesday, March 15, she went home to be with her Lord and Savior. While caring for her in recent weeks and now grieving her absence, I am being treated for bladder cancer. Given all this, you might ask, how am I doing with this joy project ?
I have written and taught about the fact that joy and suffering appear side-by-side in the Bible for many years. I have maintained that the opposite of joy is not sadness, but despair and hopelessness. Is the apostle James totally out of touch with reality when he says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, when you face trials of many kinds” (James 1:2), or Paul when he says, “We rejoice in our sufferings” (Romans 5:3)?
As my wife, Sharon, and I went through this difficult time together, and as I watched her grow weaker as her health declined, I have been grappling with deep sadness, of course. At the same time, she continued to express her readiness to “go and be with Jesus.” She was certainly more ready to go than I was to let her go. We had many happy times remembering, enjoying one another, and even laughing despite the circumstances.
Emotionally, this has been the hardest and most demanding work I have ever done in my life. What carries me through? First, my love for my wife. Second, my belief that God is in this , and he is a God of comfort and strength. We are not alone. We are surrounded by a supportive family and church community. We are also surrounded by a loving God who has our best interests in view. His ways are not our ways, but his ways are always good. In his divine wisdom, God is working out his purposes in us as a loving, heavenly Father who knows our needs, hears our groans, and brings us daily comfort and hope.
I do believe, as the apostles promise, that this time of hardship and suffering is producing in me perseverance, character, and maturity (James 1:2-4; Romans 5:2-5). I am a better man for having endured this hardship. In the last moments together, Sharon and I were reminded of what is important in life, and we grew in faith and hope in God’s ultimate purpose for us—everlasting joy (Isaiah 51:11). This trial increased our faith. And yes, it is a trial, a testing, and not a meaningless calamity intended to destroy us. God’s intention is to purify us.
Meanwhile, we were able to steal away many moments of joy, even amid the present circumstances. Joy and sorrow are often intertwined. I was with my wife in the birth of all four of our children. What I observed was a good deal of pain and hard work, mingled with the joy of a new life being born. And Jesus, “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,” won our redemption. (Hebrews 12:2).
Isaac Watts penned these words in his great hymn, “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”:
“See, from his head, his hands, his feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down.
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?”
It is a great comfort to me to know that Jesus walked this way before me. I find joy in following in his footsteps. He tasted our infirmities, and he knew our suffering, even to the point of death.
Are you in a time of great suffering right now or maybe even approaching the final days of your life? I hope these words will offer you some hope and comfort. May the God of all comfort be present with you in your time of need.
In loving memory, Sharon Sue Denk (October 5, 1945 – March 15, 2023)

Life-affirming, empathetic, and, above all, joyful, An Invitation to Joy  is a salve for the wounds of the world-weary. If you have lost your joy, this book will help you find it again.
 
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