Joy Anisa and family, photo by Matthew Smith by Blue-sky-photo
Joy Anisa
continued, “My childhood was a positive one.
I grew up in a home that was faith filled and I was confident in the
love my parents had for me. Growing up
in a home that was grounded in faith brought me into my own faith during my
teen years. I am blessed to be the
recipient of generations that have a legacy of faith in God. It only makes sense that I knew where to go
and whom to turn to when my life unraveled and became very messy. I do not come from a crisis free home and the
ones that have gone before me did not live neatly packaged lives. However, they did live for the One who gives
grace in the midst of the mess and extends mercy for the frazzled. I had the wonderful privilege of seeing faith
in practice as I grew up.”
Her faith
helped her through adversity.
“Facing life
as a single mom can be full of unpredictable joy, pain, accomplishments, and
setbacks. Perseverance is the gift that
is graciously given to the weak of heart. Perseverance has become a part of who
I am. I am sure I speak for thousands of
single moms. The adversity is living life in the unknown and bearing the burden
of raising children alone. The real
question to ask is not do I persevere but do I persevere well.”
Joy
communicated, “This study of the book of
Nehemiah focuses on how to rebuild what is broken and restore what is
ruined when a crisis has left a wake of pain, loss, and devastation. It offers
people, especially women, tried and tested practical tools to move from
seemingly hopeless destruction to immeasurable joy. When the walls come
crumbling down, people need a reassuring and experienced voice to offer a
message of hope and restoration. Following the principles in the Old Testament
book of Nehemiah, we too can rebuild. A crisis can affect anyone at anytime and
ruin life as we know it. However, the process of rebuilding is what will make
all the difference. Often the desire to be restored becomes the focus and the
process by which that restoration comes is minimized. Whatever has left you
devastated, restoration can come through Jesus Christ. However, it is His joy
that will give you strength for the tough journey that must be experienced.”
She talked about the power of change, “My
perspective changed when I heard, ‘Sometimes God chooses to dig the well of joy
with the spade of sorrow.’ I began to desire a beautiful well of joy to be in
the center of the mess that engulfed my life. I desired God to dig a well with
His grace, His wisdom, His love, and His purpose. It seems like it was only
yesterday that my world turned upside down. Then on other days it feels so long
ago. I don’t know why you have picked up this book. Maybe you find yourself
standing in the ruins left by a terrible crisis. Perhaps you are the person
that continually speaks encouragement to a dear friend who is devastated by a
crisis. Whatever your reason, I will walk with you and show you the unbreakable
promises of the all wise God who is righteous and kind. . His love is more
powerful than any blow of a crisis. His grace will grip you when you do not
have the strength to hold on. His mercy will cover you when your heart is
exposed to deep hurt and excruciating pain.
The Old Testament servant, Nehemiah,
made himself available to the hard work of rebuilding. What he accomplished in
a short time is amazing. The same God that gave Nehemiah the strength, the
discernment, and the motivation to rebuild what others had deemed a disgrace is
the same God that will give you all you need. Are you ready to make yourself
available to the Lord to rebuild in His time, His way, and with His joy?
Nehemiah’s account of building the walls and hanging the gates of Jerusalem
gives insight that applies to your heart. I hope you will do what Nehemiah and
the people of Jerusalem did. ‘Let us rise and build. Then they strengthened
their hands to this good work.’(Neh. 2:18b).
My children and I have risen up and
chosen to rebuild. Our hands are strong for this good work. We are experiencing
the joy of the Lord! The ‘spade of sorrow’ has dug deep in my life and the life
of my children. The pain is intense! I would never desire for anyone to
experience the pain of life altering crisis. However, at some point in life we
all are touched by crisis either directly or indirectly. It is my prayer that
when a crisis enters your life that you will trust that the spade being used is
for the purpose and opportunity for joy. Surrender to the One that redeems what
is ruined, finds what is lost, and gives you His identity.”
Her advice, “One of the most difficult
things you will face during your crisis may be the desire to worship. It is
imperative that you continue to worship knowing that it is through this time of
worship that you will understand that restoration begins there. Walking in
obedience to the Lord will bring continuous clarity to your circumstances. You
may not always understand the process by which the Lord uses to bring healing
but you can trust that He knows the process that your heart needs for the
healing. The darkness that moves in and seems to place your heart in the dark
shadows of uncertainty can cause you to feel afraid. I hope you experience the
All-Knowing God who sees you. Immersing yourself in the truths of God’s Word
will be your compass when it is difficult to know what your next step is. When
others evaluate your pain and it is too much and causes more pain, you can rest
in the arms of the one that knows your heart will hide you under the shadow of
his wings. The Lord will bring you from crisis to credibility in His timing and
His way. When he moves you through He will present your life as a beautiful
testimony that will draw others to the loving Savior.”
Her
challenge is symbolized by cliff jumping.
She
explained, “The challenge is the jump itself. The person making the jump is in
complete control and feels out of control at the same time. It is a clash of
nerves and confidence. No one pushes you and nothing drops you off the
cliff. It is all you! Several days after I made my first jump, I
realized the symbolism between that jump and my life. The latter part of 2
Timothy 1:12 states …’for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He
is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.’ When I chose to push off the cliff and let go
of what I could hold on to, the four seconds it took for me to plunge into the
water below seemed more like 30 seconds.
I sunk deep into the water and then as I kicked my way toward the light
at the surface of the water I was also being pulled. There was nothing for me to hold on to, yet I
was being kept. I was kept by the life
jacket that hugged my torso with a gentle firmness. I could only sink so far. Life
and the way we know it and live it can change in seconds. One minute your feet are planted firmly and
the next you’re plunging into the unknown that is swimming with ‘what ifs’, ‘if
onlys’, ‘what now’, ‘what next’, and more questions that you have answers. At least, this is how I have known life for
the last four years. If I told you the details of my own crisis, the only sure
thing you would soon realize is that while I had nothing to hold on to and
everything I knew changed; something or should I say Someone held me. The writer of 2 Timothy wrote, ‘…He is able
to keep…’ I realized that my physical
jump off the cliff represented what had been happening to me spiritually. My kind, loving Heavenly Father has been
keeping me! The second I committed to
the jump I had nothing and yet I had everything I needed. The life jacket held me and gave me confidence
that I would be all right. Even as I sunk, I had nothing to worry about. It was never about what I could hold on to. It
only mattered what was holding me. We
don’t need to grasp when we know what is grasping us. My grip is weak and would
give out anyway. His grip is relentless
and eternal.”
Her closing
words, “I am currently booking speaking engagements for 2014 and 2015. I will bring laughter and you will feel like
you have just shared a great cup of coffee with a wonderful friend. My down-to-earth style of storytelling and
encouragement will inspire you.”
Joy will be marrying a wonderful man, her partner, in February. Jeff and Joy will continue to live
with Meighan and Caid in Western North Carolina!
Joy’s
contact information:
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