“The Joy Of the Lord is my strength!”

Have you ever walked through one of the most difficult weeks and felt like your heart was broken into little pieces and you may never regain your joy? Only to find that JOY was waiting for you just around the corner and it would make you strong again!

“The Joy of The Lord is my strength,” has always been one of my favorite verses! Yet, I must admit, it is one of the most difficult to explain and to understand. Joy is not a given! It is not something that just comes to us through osmosis. It is not simply dropped on your head and all of a sudden you become joyful regardless of your circumstances. Rather, it is believed in and practiced. And when belief is put into practice it can create great joy and produce amazing strength!

“This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10b

Case in point…Last week was one of celebrating my mom’s birthday while experiencing grief, but celebrate we did! 

And while there were tears of grief that celebrating my mom was not and would not be the same ever again, we celebrated her through the grief.

Then we moved forward believing that God was blessing her and would continue to be faithful. Putting that belief into practice means not sitting too long in our grief. Oh, it is tempting. Not that any of us would choose grief over joy of course, but when we find ourselves grieving it can sometimes be easier to stay in the grief until we find ourselves stuck in it. Then like any good mud puddle or quicksand it can find us stuck firm and going down slowly. Instead of sitting in the mud and making mud patties, we must pull ourselves out and put our belief into practice!

The easiest way I know how to do this is to look for Joy! You will find it when you do! It may be in the sunrise at the break of day. It may be in a friend who gives you an unexpected call or visit. It may be in the blooms that you see springing forth on the seemingly dead branches of a tree. Or it may be in quality time spent with family.

For me God had pure joy waiting right around the corner! One week after my mother turned 81, my beautiful granddaughter turned 3! Today is Lucy James’ 3rd birthday! She is everything creative, fun, inquisitive, bright, spunky, and pure joy! Celebrating her was an explosion of joy from beginning to end! From her birthday party, “turning three under the sea,” to her traditional birthday breakfast on her, “you are special today,” red plate, to her dressed from head to toe as “Jesse” from Toy Story as she skipped through Disneyland, celebrating her brings strength to my spirit!

I have a greater strength to continue stepping forward in the needed care and process of my sweet mama aging because of the joy I celebrated with my beloved granddaughter!

Joy is waiting around every corner! God has placed beautiful reminders of Himself everywhere throughout his amazing creation! Open your eyes and look! You will find it and when you do it will produce a supernatural strength in you that can only come from God!

TRUTH BOMB

Joy from God is waiting around every corner if we look for it!

Speak Truth Love