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For quite a few years folks have remarked to me that I’m particularly optimistic in the face of life’s challenges and difficulties. I’ve been said to have a Pollyanna approach to life, a sentiment I took as an approbation and not a criticism.

Recently I tore my calf muscle, causing me to take minutes of significant pain to walk across a room. When I learned what my issue was, and my first text to my family discussing the problem included praise to God, I understood that my attitude was not that of Pollyanna, but derived from my understanding of how much God loves me. I’ll call this a Jimmyanna attitude.

The dictionary tells us that “A Pollyanna is a person characterized by excessive, blind or unjustifiable optimism, often finding a silver lining in every situation”. Instead of this, I want to be characterized as one who knows that God’s love is far greater than anything I can imagine; I have no need to doubt the truth of His care for me because He gave me His Word in assurance; and I don’t have a silver lining to fall back on, but am awaiting streets of gold for eternity.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 simply says “rejoice always.” It doesn’t say only rejoice at the good stuff.

Last year I had the experience of helping a young man on the Appalachian Trail who had been badly bitten by a dog in multiple locations and was in need of rabies shots in both arms, both legs and his torso. I first met his two companions as they were vomiting on the road as they talked because they were so sick with norovirus. A friend and I were able to get all of them the help they needed: rest, nourishment and multiple trips to emergency rooms up the trail for periodic rabies shots. My friend and I rejoiced for them, not because of their ills, but because there would be multiple opportunities in the next days to talk to them about the good news of Jesus, and also because they would be the recipients of multiple good meals and wonderful places to rest, much better than normal trail life. (In fact, all three were very moved by the love shown to them, and learned a lot about Jesus’ love; we hope they will accept His free gift of salvation.)

I hope that this year as I live along the AT for a few months, I will meet others with whom I can rejoice in the midst of their trials, and help them to experience joy that knows no bounds. And by the way, it’s important to keep in mind the context of the Thessalonians verse: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. — 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 We need to always keep our prayers and our focus on the will of God; rejoicing is not an idle sport!

"God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to arouse a deaf world." C. S. Lewis