A Roadmap to Joy: Finding God in Pain, Purpose, and the Unexpected

<p>What if joy wasn’t the absence of pain, but something deeper, stronger, and always available?</p><p>In this powerful episode of <em>Covenant &amp; Conflict</em>, David Blease sits down with author and missionary <strong>Bonnie Saul Wilkes </strong>to explore a lifetime journey of calling, sacrifice, and discovering what true joy really is.</p><p>From growing up with a Jewish last name in a Christian home…</p><p>to encountering antisemitism that sparked a lifelong calling…</p><p>to living on a kibbutz in Israel and eventually moving to the former Soviet Union to disciple thousands.</p><p>Bonnie’s story is marked by bold obedience and unexpected turns.</p><p>But what stands out most isn’t just the mission… it’s the joy she found along the way.</p><p><br></p><p>In this conversation, Bonnie unpacks:</p><ul><li>Why joy is not the same as happiness</li><li>How joy can coexist with suffering, loss, and uncertainty</li><li>The difference between joy, peace, and pleasure</li><li>Why gratitude is one of the most powerful spiritual practices</li><li>And how God leads us into joy through obedience, not comfort</li></ul><p>Even through cancer diagnoses in her family, hardship in missions, and seasons of deep pain, she discovered that joy isn’t something you stumble into…</p><p>It’s something you walk into.</p><p>Her new book, <em>A Roadmap to Joy</em>, is the result of decades of journaling, poetry, and real-life encounters with God, and every story somehow leads back to one truth: Joy is always available in His presence.</p><p>Watch now and discover what it means to walk the pathway of joy.</p><p>00:00 – Intro: A Life Marked by Calling</p><p>02:15 – From Antisemitism to a Calling for the Jewish People</p><p>08:00 – Leaving Everything for the Nations (Soviet Union Missions)</p><p>13:11 – The Unexpected Theme: Why Every Story Led to Joy</p><p>19:50 – Joy vs Happiness: What Most People Get Wrong</p><p>30:55 – The Counterfeits of Joy (Pleasure, Success, Isolation)</p><p>35:15 – Joy vs Peace: How to “Soar Over the Chaos”</p><p>41:10 – A Final Prayer: Walking the Pathway of Joy</p>