Have you ever made a statement similar to the following?
“I’ll be glad when the kids are no longer in diapers.”
“I’ll be glad when I no longer have to take care of mowing the lawn.”
“I’ll be glad when I no longer have this car payment.”
“l’ll be glad when I make more money.”
“I’ll be glad when he or she finally leaves me alone!”
“I’ll be glad when FILL IN THE BLANK!”
I am guilty on all accounts noted above and then some.
If you have ever made such statements, congratulations!
You are now a charter member of the “I’ll Be Glad When Club”.
Please send me your annual dues for said membership, as “I’ll be glad” to spend the money wisely!
The membership is open to all and apparently has no lack of interested parties.
“I’ll be glad WHEN…” carries a condition with it.
If I do this then I get that.
It is simple math, like “one plus one” equals two.
It is cause and effect in motion.
Why can’t we simply be glad without attaching a conditional statement as the caboose to the train?
In my case, I could say something like – “I’ll be glad when I am no longer without work.”
On the surface it seems like a like an honest statement. However, I am restricting my “gladness” to “when I find work.”
Incidentally, for those of you who have prayed for me in my employment quest, your prayers have been answered.
Although the details are still pending as of the date of this post, I was offered employment at another healthcare institution near Lancaster, Pennsylvania and we will be relocating in the next few months as the details unfold.
Words cannot express my thanks for those who have taken a moment or two to remember our needs. We are grateful!
Continued prayers for the processes and decisions yet to come would still be appreciated!
Back to our “gladness” chat.
I don’t want to be a card carrying member of the “I’ll Be Glad When Club.”
I simply want to express my gladness as an outward expression of an inward state of being.
I don’t mean to thump you on the head with the Bible, but its words are Life to me.
I am not a “hymn” guy per se.
My music tastes are more along contemporary lines.
However, there is value in learning about the background circumstances which may have influenced the writing of a particular song.
One of my favorite hymns, It Is Well With My Soul, was written by Horatio Spafford soon after an 1873 tragedy which involved his family.
Spafford was a partner in a thriving law firm in Chicago during the 1860’s. He was a contemporary of D. L. Moody.
He had sizable real estate holdings of which most were destroyed by the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Two years after the fire Spafford and his family planned a vacation to England as Moody was scheduled to speak there.
Horatio sent his wife and four daughters ahead of himself on the trip as he was delayed by business to which he had to attend.
While crossing the Atlantic, the ship on which his family traveled was struck by another vessel and over 200 people perished, including Spafford’s four daughters, with his wife, Anna, surviving.
She cabled home “Saved Alone”.
While subsequently sailing to England to join his wife, Spafford penned the words to the cherished hymn as he traveled over the site where his daughters had perished at sea.
What if Spafford had elected the mindset of “I’ll be glad when all my property is restored” or “I’ll be glad when my daughter’s come back to life.”?
He would have never been “glad” if he based his inner state on the external circumstances.
We would have been robbed of the encouragement the hymn provides. The lyrics are below.
It may be a petty point, but what is keeping us from being glad?
In my opinion, only a decision to do so separates us from being glad!
My encouragement to the man in the mirror and to you – BE GLAD!
In doing so you are giving control to an inner state which far surpasses anything on the other side of the glass.
It is a peace which surpasses all understanding.
You can say with all confidence – IT IS WELL!
I hope you enjoy a more contemporary version of the classic hymn shown in the video below.
In what ways can you change your perspective to practice and succeed at being glad?
Photo and Graphics Courtesy of Bruce R. Cross
First, praise God for answering our prayers for employment for you. This will mean many changes for both of you and I will be praying for you as you move forward in what the Lord has provisioned for you. My brother in-law is a dean at Lancaster Bible College and I will be glad to make introductions should you desire. Thank you for reminding us of the beautiful words and story of “It Is Well With My Soul”. This
modern psalm has provided me with much encouragement over the years. As I am a card-carrying member of the I’ll Be Glad When Club (although not an active membership these days), I am glad to remember that there is a promise for our future that enables me to be glad in all things.
I am “glad” you what you let your membership in the “club” expire. You get to experience much more of the life intended for you! Thanks for the prayers and for sharing!
What a wonderful reminder this morning Bruce! Yes, I am alive, breathing, I can see and hear and my family is doing well – I can rejoice and be glad despite the challenges I may be facing. We’re told the joy of the Lord is our strength – so being glad and rejoicing makes us strong. Love those lyrics and the story behind them. Amazing faith.
BE GLAD – end of story, should be the motto for all of us! The story is so gripping in its simplicity and how he handled it. I keep playing the video over and over (loudly) to get it in me! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.