Let’s be honest: life can be really hard sometimes on this side of Heaven. I know in my own life I think of my breast cancer journey, the dark season of our marriage, losing my dad, challenges my children have experienced, and much more. I imagine you can think of many situations in your own life as well.

Along with those hardships come emotions that can feel like a rollercoaster that takes us on twists and turns, and often our first reaction is to just try to make the rollercoaster stop so we can experience joy and peace again. However, what if we could find joy even while we are riding the rollercoaster of life? What if joy isn’t about a feeling, but rather about a knowing?

Joining me today is my long-time friend Suzie Eller. Suzie is a podcast co-host, speaker, and ECPA bestselling author. She has written several books including her most recent book, Joykeeper: 6 Truths That Change Everything You Thought You Knew About Joy. She has also navigated some incredibly challenging circumstances in her life, and in this episode she openly walks us through the journey God has led her and her family on, and what she’s learned as a result.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why circumstances so often steal our joy
• The lessons Suzie has personally learned from walking through hardship
• Practical ways you can find joy on the hard days
• Why we can let God do His work without getting in His way

This was such a beautiful and honest conversation. I hope it speaks to your heart in a powerful way today.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Suzie’s Website
• Follow Suzie on Instagram and Facebook
• Joykeeper: 6 Truths That Change Everything You Thought You Knew About Joy by Suzie Eller
• The Mom I Want to Be: Rising Above Your Past to Give Your Kids a Great Future by Suzie Eller
• More Than Small Talk Podcast
• Prayer Starters Podcast
• As a thank you for listening, get your 3 free eBooks.

My Key Takeaways:

1) True joy is not tied to our circumstances. When hard circumstances enter into our life, it can feel so hard not to be overwhelmed by emotions of sadness, anger, fear, uncertainty, anxiety, or frustration. While it isn’t wrong to feel those feelings, we need to put joy in a different category. Joy is more than a feeling. Joy is something that God has given us and it never goes away. We can have joy even while life is hard because we know that God is deeply present with us and cares for us, in every moment of our life.

2) We can let go of trying to control things around us. This one is especially difficult because we often want to protect those that we love from going through difficulties. We can run ourselves ragged trying to control circumstances that we can’t control (and were never intended to control). It’s important that we trust God to control what circumstances come into our loved ones’ lives and focus on simply being a loving support for them while we let God do the work only He can do.

3) Surround yourself with people who want God’s best for you. When you are going through a challenging season, you need to have “your people” around you. These are the ones that sit with you on the hard days and listen to you when you need to express what you are feeling. They don’t try to fix or solve the situation, but you can always count on them to show up and be present. These are also the people that remind you of God’s goodness and faithfulness when you need it most.

4) You are not alone. It’s very important to me that you take this away from this conversation as well. I want you to know today that you are not alone in walking through the difficult season you find yourself in. Even deeper than that, you can know that God is always with you. Always.

About Suzie:

Suzie Eller is a blogger, podcast co-host, speaker, and ECPA bestselling author. She has written over nine books including her most recent book, Joykeeper: 6 Truths That Change Everything You Thought You Knew about Joy. Suzie is a two-time breast cancer survivor and is grateful for family, faith, and life. When she is not writing, you can find her kayaking, finding the best food truck around, or hiking. Learn more at https://tsuzanneeller.com/ —