Entering Joy

It's good to let go and laugh when life is weighing you down . It won't change any of the circumstances you find yourself in  , but when you can laugh at the antics of others , it helps to lighten the load .
Sheila Walsh

You can only cry for so long . Sooner or later , you have to get up off the floor and dust yourself off and move on living out your life . We cannot worry ourselves with what is wrong with others when there is so much wrong with ourselves . That's what I've discovered in my Joy study . . . . the wrong within me .

Does that mean I'm completely cured of all that ailed me in the first place ? Probably not . Will I love my work situation like nothing before ? Maybe . Will I fall off the wagon ? Oh yeah . All that and more because I am human . I am the daughter of Adam and Eve , I will fall , but when I do , I will get up and do my very best not to fall twice in the same place .

When we realize our days here matter , our pain has significance and our choices are meaningful , we can step through the darkest of times with hope in our hearts .

Oh hope . . . . that is the magic word . Without it , why even bother ? If I feel that all is lost , why should I continue ? Hope is the glue that holds all of us during our most difficult times . Who is hope ? Ever heard of the saying , " Hope is in the Lord " ? To me , that's who is my hope . Without Him , there is no Joy to enter into .

As I near the end of my Joy study , I can't help but wonder about that little nagging thought way back there in the darkened corner where no one wants to look . All the reasons I've listed are true regarding work , but that's not the only ones . There is that truth that I associate work with resistance to my life's plan .

I have this perfect image in my head of what I want to be doing . Don't we all ? Don't some of you wish you could be on a beach or sailing the world ? We all have that image fermented in our brains as that perfect dream life . In my mind , work is the only resistence to that dream .

Then I think of the Paul , who spent his life traveling evangelizing about Jesus . He never married , was probably lonely traveling all the time and I'm sure he had other plans before becoming a follower of Christ and yet  . . . . he lived out his purpose . Maybe , my purpose isn't where I think it should be . We always think we know what is best for us , but how many times our best has led us astray ?

Could acknowledging and accepting our purpose mean we are finally entering Joy in our life ? I think so . It's like when we are sick . We know the medicine tastes bitter , but we need it to help us get better . When we accept that fact , it somehow goes down alot smoother and quicker .

Mmmm , I think I'm finally getting this Joy thing . Have a Blessed day everyone .