Finding Joy Even When It Hurts

Well . . . this happened.

Yesterday I had shut my computer down and was walking a little too fast out of my office towards the kitchen to make dinner.

You want to know my big mistake? I was wearing Crocs.

Crocs and speed walking don’t go together well.

You guessed it – I tripped, badly.

There was no way to break my fall.

Everything I was carrying in my arms went flying.

I hit my neck first on the wooden desk, followed by both shoulders.  By the time I crashed on the floor, both knees were feeling the brunt of the fall.

My husband, who was in his office, heard my scream and came running.

I actually saw stars and was close to passing out.

No concussion – thank the Lord – but I’m sitting here now with two swollen kneecaps, two bruised and hurting shoulders, bruising and swelling on my left hand, and swelling on my neck.

Talk about hurt.

Do you remember the Bible verse in James concerning trials and difficulties?

²Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, ³knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. – James 1:2-3, (NASB).

Admittedly, my first reaction was not joyful. I was in such pain that I couldn’t stand up for awhile, or focus my eyes with all of those stars floating around.

“Joy” was the last thing I was thinking during those tearful moments.

But, after the initial hours of throbbing pain, I count my blessings. God knew what was going to happen and I felt His comfort throughout.

Friends and family offered prayers.

My husband (always the hero) is doing everything from fixing meals, cleaning the house, doing the laundry, helping me shower and put on clothes, to getting me in bed at night.

Joy Even When It Hurts – Focus on God’s Blessings 

Counting blessings is an understatement.

As much as it hurts, my fall could have been much, much worse.

I’m grateful that I didn’t hit my head and have a concussion. I’m also grateful that I didn’t fall backwards instead because I wouldn’t have been able to brace myself as much.

Life seems busy, busy, busy all the time and there never seems to be enough hours in the day.

My black and blue life lesson was learned the hard way.

Don’t let it happen to you.

Slow down. (Gotta remember that.)

Sometimes it takes a serious wakeup call to drive that point home.

And yet we know that God is not trying to frustrate us or defeat us or destroy us, but to conform us to the image of His Son and in so doing He wastes no circumstance, no adversity, no affliction, no sickness, no success, no failure, etc, in achieving His end, which in fact He will achieve (cp Phil 1:6+, 1Pe 5:10+). When you are in the trial, it is critical to remember that God never commands to do His will in any area, that He does not also supply us with the grace and power necessary to fulfill it (Php 2:12+, Php 2:13NLT+, 2Cor 12:9, 10+, Php 4:11, 12, 13+). – Precept Austin Commentary.

Thank You God for Your grace and power

in whatever difficult circumstances we find ourselves in.

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¹ Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

² Quotation is from James 1-2 Commentary, [2026] Courtesy of Precept Austin, Web. Accessed 19 June, 2026.