16 Ways to Find Unexpected Joy in Difficult Seasons

Do you think a person can find joy in challenging times? I not only think it is possible, I believe it is essential to persevere well. However, it doesn’t always come easy; sometimes, we need a little help. Today, Lori Schumaker shares 16 ways to find unexpected joy in difficult seasons.

My friend, Lori, has a beautiful way of helping others to unveil a hope-filled life. Her words today help us recognize we must be intentional if we want to find unexpected joy when life takes a turn we never saw coming.

How to Find Unexpected Joy in Difficult Seasons

Written by Lori Schumaker

I was doing better. I had established a bit of daily routine once again and enjoyed its predictability and productivity. The rhythms of day-to-day life felt gentler than they had for a long time. I felt lighter — as though my joy were returning. But it took only one tragic moment for everything to change. No more routine. No gentle rhythm. I found myself once again figuring out how to find unexpected joy in difficult seasons.

As I write this today, I’m still doing some figuring. I think what makes it even more difficult this time is that time changes most things. The ways I once found joy in other challenging situations don’t exactly fit my life today. The supporting characters of my story have changed—some are no longer with me and others have walked different paths.

Where is your joy today? Are you facing a difficult season for the first time? Or, maybe you are weary from back-to-back seasons. Perhaps you once found joy in ways unique to another season of life, but today things are different. For whatever reason, are you struggling to find your joy today? If so, I hope what I have to share helps you along the journey.

The most powerful part of finding joy is the Good News of the Gospel. The main character of all our stories is Jesus who remains the same forever. God never changes and He remains with us throughout all the good times and bad. Walking as a follower of Christ doesn’t always make it easy to find joy in difficult seasons, but it does make it possible. He fills us with something that goes deeper than happiness. It is something that does more than make us laugh for a moment. He gives us peace that rises in the middle of the impossible.

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  
(Philippians 4:7)

I’ve realized that even though I and my supporting characters have changed, God hasn’t. Therefore, the core of how I find unexpected joy today has not nor will not change. There’s definitely a learning curve as we carve out an experience as uniquely ours, but at the heart of our journey lay the seeking of the God who loves us beyond measure and is working all things together for our good.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”  
(Romans 8:28)

16 Ways to Find Unexpected Joy in Difficult Seasons

1. Pray

Keep pursuing a relationship with Christ even when your emotions come into conflict with Him. It’s how we work things out with Him. Relationships do not grow deeper without communication and our relationship with the Lord is more important than any other relationship in our life

2. Keep reading your Bible even when you don’t “feel” like it!

Emotional exhaustion is real when facing a difficult season — it becomes hard to focus and our desires wane. But when we ask God in prayer to keep speaking to us through His Word, He will. He will give us what we need through the time we spend in His Word.

3. Get the rest your body needs.

Don’t keep pushing through. I get that sometimes we must pay heed to the saying “fake it until you make it.” But don’t fake it so much you tune out your body’s needs. Without proper rest, both our physical and mental health will collapse.

4. Exercise.

Again, we don’t need to push ourselves to or beyond our limits. We must recognize our limitations. But getting consistent exercise in aerobic, stretch, and strength formats is important to finding joy in difficult seasons. I recently found a YouTube channel with workouts geared toward people with Fibromyalgia and other chronic pain diseases. It has been a game-changer for me.

5. Get quiet so that you can figure out what brings you joy in this season of your life.

The things that give me joy in this life season differ from those of years ago. I don’t have little ones running around to make me laugh or cuddle with me in the rocking chair. But I’m learning about new things that bring me joy and accepting those things as worthy!

6. Be intentional about laughter!

Don’t get too caught up in yourself and your struggles. I tend to be too serious. I am a deep thinker and deep thinkers like to figure everyone and everything out. But I’ve learned a great deal from my husband over the years. He makes me laugh at things all the time. Sometimes it is better to laugh at the situation instead of cry over it!

7. Let yourself feel.

Cry but don’t stay stuck there. Tears are healing. They can serve as a cleansing of the heartache living in your soul. In just the same manner, it is okay to be angry. But again, don’t stay there. Work through it. Talk to God about your anger and ask Him to cleanse your heart of all darkness. We can’t stuff feelings forever. Eventually, they rise and cause havoc in our lives.

8. Force yourself to be spontaneous.

This step is a difficult one for me! I love structure and planning. But something is refreshing and joy-giving about answering the call of spontaneity!

9. Surround yourself with people that are GOOD for you and your mental health!

If you are a caretaker, it becomes even more important to have a solid support system of uplifting and encouraging people around you to help you laugh, cry, and pray! This is also a good time to set in place the needed boundaries from those that drain you of your joy. I realize that sometimes it is impossible to do that for all the joy-stealers. However, assess your current life situation and determine where you must set those boundaries. And then, because there are those in your life who will not like the change, choose not to listen to the negative chatter. Know God’s Truth and speak victory where negative thoughts may lurk.

10. Determine social media parameters.

Social media can be a joy builder, but it can also be a treacherous joy stealer. Set boundaries around what type of accounts you follow, who you interact with, and how much time you will allow yourself to stay on them. I just read an incredible book on the topic called “Social Media in an Insta World,” published by a compilation of The Gospel Coalition authors.

11. Take care of medical issues.

Do not put off your medical needs. See the doctors you need to get a handle on illnesses before they progress. This plan might include medical doctors, naturopaths, homeopaths, chiropractors, physical therapists, or even masseuses. Take the first step and God will lead you to the next.

12. Take care of your mental health.

Inner healing is important. Get professional support through preferably a licensed Christian counselor. Read books that will teach you new healthy habits. Participate in support groups or take quality courses that will help you understand yourself in deeper ways. Trauma doesn’t magically go away and we must face it head-on. God has used the gifts of a Christian therapist trained in EMDR to help me heal deep places of trauma I’d pushed away for many years.

13. Have grace for yourself and others.

Grace is a gift. Soak in God’s grace and then pour its abundance over others that fall short in your life.

14. Forgive.

Forgiveness is at the core of Christianity. Jesus asks us to forgive others as He has forgiven us. He knows that this is the only way to purify our hearts and find freedom and joy on this side of eternity.

15. Keep a journal.

Journaling our thoughts is a powerful way to contemplate and remember. It leads us to joy as we remember what the Lord did before and therefore can and will do once again. We can journal Bible verses, prayers, or a list of things for which we are grateful.

16. Say “thank you” often.

Gratitude is a powerful tool in our search for joy. Intentionally saying “thank you” awakens our minds to the many blessings we have been given. We then become noticers of the good in our lives. And when we notice good, our joy naturally increases.

There are more ways you can find joy in your difficult season, but it takes intentionality. Brainstorm and then DO. Don’t just leave it at the brainstorming session as a great idea. Without action, our plans are useless and will not serve to bring us joy.

Which one of the 16 ways has helped you find unexpected joy in difficult seasons? Is there one you would like to try?

Above all, though, is your relationship with Christ. He is the holder of this life-giving kind of joy. Jesus is the author of all things good. He is the one from whom we will receive unexpected joy in difficult seasons. So, pursue Him with all your heart and with your soul, and with all your mind. Maybe you are angry at Him because of the difficult season. That’s okay, but don’t stop pursuing Him. He will reveal peace and soften your heart. He will give you eyes to see your situation through a new lens.

5 Bible verses

I will leave you with 5 Bible verses I hold onto tightly when I need to keep clinging to Him for my joy. You can write these on a word board with a dry-erase marker, on a mirror, or type them up and print them to keep with you. But whatever way you choose to do it, repeat them often, both in your thoughts and out loud. There is power in speaking Scripture out loud! So, friend, today is a new day. It’s a fresh start—a beginning to new joy in this difficult season of life.

“Until now you have asked nothing in my name. 
Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” 
John 16:24 ESV

“You make known to me the path of life;
    in your presence there is fullness of joy;
    at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.“
Psalm 16:11 ESV

“When the cares of my heart are many, 
your consolations cheer my soul.”  
Psalm 94:19 ESV

“My lips will shout for joy,
    when I sing praises to you;
    my soul also, which you have redeemed.“
Psalm 71:23 ESV

“For his anger is but for a moment,
    and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
    but joy comes with the morning.”
Psalm 30:5 ESV

What helps you to find unexpected joy in difficult seasons?

As a wife, adoptive, biological, and special needs mom, teacher, writer, and speaker, Lori’s heart is to encourage others to live a hope-filled life through Christ. Wherever you find yourself today, through both Lori’s freelance writing and her blog found at www.LoriSchumaker.com, you can find tools to help you make sense of God’s love for you, strengthen your faith, and bravely learn to live a surrendered life. In her award-winning book, Surrendered Hearts, she weaves lessons of letting go, trusting, and living surrendered to Jesus through the telling of her family’s adoption story. 

Lori has been featured on Christian websites, including iBelieve and Crosswalk. Her work can also be found in several devotional book compilations You can connect with her on her website or through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube.

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