Joy, Simplicity, the Gospel...and a car accident

This is what God has been highlighting in my life recently:
Joy, and the value of fighting for it each day.
Simplicity, and how my life and relationship with God is really more simple than I can often make it out to be.
The gospel, and how it is powerful each day. It is why I can fight for and have joy. It is why my life and relationship with God is "simple." It is why I no longer need to live under condemnation, even with the reality of sin and circumstance.

This evening, while driving home, I ran into a deer less than 3 miles from my house. Full force. The deer caution sign further up the road did as much good as someone saying "watch your step!" right after you stub your toe. This shook me up pretty good, and my neck is pretty sore.
I learned much from my accident last summer. Yes, this is my third car accident - I was hoping that my new car being red would help keep people from running into me, but apparently I need to cover all bases and guard against animals running into me as well! Back to what I learned - even "simple" car accidents have long lasting effects. This was discouraging to remember at first, because it means I have work ahead of me, physically and spiritually. Just when I'm trying to see life as simple and focus on joy, a "wet blanket" is dropped on me. But I realized something as I was taking a whirl pool, reading Oswald Chambers, and planning to call for a chiropractor adjustment. I realized that it's God's grace that has equipped me with knowing what I need to do to address my body and soul. Last year I did not know what I was in for after my accident and somewhat shrugged it off - ignorance is bliss (for a time). Tonight I was not as ignorant, and my heart was tempted to discouragement. However, immediately following the discouragement was the remembrance that God grew me and drew me to himself. And get this - expectation and anticipation trumped the discouragement! Those very things that God has been highlighting to me recently may be given fuel from this circumstance, instead of being smothered out by a wet blanket. I am thankful for the Spirit's work in me. I have such a good Father.

Here are some excerpts from what I read in My Utmost for His Highest tonight (I picked it up, but haven't read it for years). It was very timely.

August 31

My Joy . . . Your Joy

"That my joy may remain in you, and that your joy might be full." John 15:11

...The joy of Jesus was the absolute self-surrender and self-sacrifice of Himself to His Father, the joy of doing that which the Father sent Him to do. "I delight to do Thy will." Jesus prayed that our joy might go on fulfilling itself until it was the same joy as His. Have I allowed Jesus Christ to introduce His joy to me?

The full flood of my life is not in bodily health, not in external happenings, not in seeing God's work succeed, but in the perfect understanding of God, and in the communion with Him that Jesus Himself had. The first thing that will hinder this joy is the captious irritation of thinking out circumstances. The cares of this world, said Jesus, will choke God's word. Before we know where we are, we are caught up in the show of things.

...Stop being self-conscious, stop being a sanctified prig, and live the life hid with Christ. The life that is rightly related to God is as natural as breathing where it goes. The lives that have been of most blessing to you are those who were unconscious of it.

O God, increase my sense of Thee and my sensible understanding of Thy Son, my Lord and Master. Grant that I may more and more realize Thy dominance and rule, and more and more rejoice in simple joy in Thee.

photo: The Fulton Opera House, 2007