Dear Family and Friends,

How did you spend your week? This may seem a bit odd but I spent mine looking for my joy.

Aileen mentioned my emails of late were a little on the dark side. She was right. World events were stealing my joy.

So in response, this week was dedicated to finding my joy. 

The exercise was rejuvenating and I did find my joy. But it was not where I expected it to be. For example. 

Even though the weather was constantly rotating between cloudy, windy and rain, my walks around the neighborhood were joyful.

Even though birds are impossible to potty train, watching birds sun themselves on the lanai was joyful.

And I found joy in our friendly quiet neighbors, even as the aforementioned wind blew coconuts from Their tree into Our yard.

And this was just the first day.

I may not have been happy but I was joyful. How do they differ?

“Joy is the happiness that does not depend on what happens.” David Steindl-Rast

I was joyful because:

  • by walking, I was caring not only for my body but the temple of the Holy Spirit. (See 1 Corinthians‬ ‭6:19-20‬)
  • I saw birds in the way God sees them, as good. (See Genesis 1:21)
  • the coconut showers were an opportunity to persevere and practice loving others. (See James 1:2-4)

So how exactly do we find joy?

First, by trusting God.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭15:13‬ NIV

When we trust only in ourselves and times get hard, it’s easy to lose sight of our joy. Why? Because the only thing we can do about things we can’t fix, is worry. 

Do you worry about our economy and inflation? Covid and health? Our malfunctioning society and the future?

Can we do anything about them? No. 

This is the enemy distracting our gaze from the Lord. The storms that surround us are lies with only one intent – to steal our God-given gift called joy.

I used to keep a small placard in my church office that read:

I GOT THIS, God

The next time we find ourselves low on joy, let’s remember this of our Father. “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭26:4‬ NIV

A second way to find joy is by obeying Jesus. 

“When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!” John‬ ‭15:10-11‬ NLT

Our daughter video calls us most days so we can chat with the grandkids. Our grandson is becoming a prolific reader. We’re so proud of him.

Meanwhile, our adorable 15-month old granddaughter is best described as a bundle of energy and advanced for her age.

We all went through a rebellious age called the terrible twos. Here’s a description of how we once were.

Two-year-olds struggle between relying on their parents and desiring their independence. They’re eager to do things on their own.

But when they discover that they’re expected to follow certain rules, and are not yet able to verbalize their objections, they express themselves through inappropriate behavior, or loud animated expressions.

(Gee, I’m not sure if I grew out of this stage.)

But don’t we, who are parents, know that rules are for a child’s good?

Just as we parents set rules for our children, He’s given us commandments so we can experience the fullness of His love and overflow with joy.

Obedience leads to joy, regardless of age.

Let’s begin to close with a few worthwhile quotes about joy.

“Joy is prayer. Joy is strength. Joy is love. Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls.” Mother Teresa

“Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.” Karl Barth

“Joy is the serious business of heaven.” C. S. Lewis

“Joy is not necessarily the absence of suffering, it is the presence of God.” Sam Storms

In love always,