Serious Business

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

2013!  Can you believe it?  Do you remember when the year was turning 2000?  People thought the world was going to end, computers were going to crash, etc., etc.…and now here we are thirteen years later! Time does fly by.

If I am going to be honest with you I have to tell you that I am happy to see 2012 go and I am looking forward to a better year in 2013!  This past year was not a great one, which gives me hope that the next one will be better!  I know I am not alone when I send this past year away, as many of you have also put in a difficult year.  Even though it has been rough, one thing has remained the same:  God is faithful.  I am so thankful He never changes, never leaves us and helps us through each day.

I can’t remember where I heard or read these two questions a week or so ago but I wrote them down when I heard them because they made me stop and think.  

The two questions were:

Have you found joy in your life?

Have you brought joy to the lives of others?

So I looked up the definition of “JOY” on the Merriam-Webster site and these are the results:

The emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires.

The expression or exhibition of such emotion.

A state of happiness or felicity.

A source or cause of delight. 

I particularly like the third definition which states, “A SOURCE or CAUSE of delight.”   We have all experienced joy at some point in life.  We know what it feels like to be joyful, happy and delighted!   It’s a wonderful feeling.   But, this world is not perfect and joy doesn’t happen every moment of every day here on planet earth.  That doesn’t mean there isn’t any joy though or that we can bring joy to others.

I am fortunate to have people, both family and friends, in my life who are a “SOURCE of delight”.  They bring me joy by just being who they are.  These are people who are encouraging, kind, sincere and honest. They know I am flawed, but love me anyway!  They know that even though I don’t always get it right, I am trying to get it right.  Do you know these kind of people?  

People who will be there when you need them?  The kind of people who will send a word of encouragement, send you a text, give you a call, love you despite yourself, do random acts of kindness, cook you a meal or give you a hug?  Is it a parent, your children, your friend, your spouse, a church member, a neighbor, a co-worker, a high school or college friend or a grandparent?  If you do not have at least one person in your life who brings you joy then I pray that this is the year you find that person.  We need to surround ourselves with people who lift us up, not bring us down.  

Am I a “CAUSE for delight” to others?  Hmm….I suppose this depends on the day and who you ask!   I hope at some point along the way I bring joy or delight to others.  I want to.  I want to see people smile and be happy.  I want to make the whole world one big happy place!!  A girl can dream.    I know the world is too big for me to take on, but I can try - in my own little space here on the planet to be a “cause for delight.”  I want to.  Do you?   Don’t you think the world would be a happier place if we all tried just a little harder to be a “source and cause for delight”?   

Let me just say here that I am well aware I am not always a source of joy!  Goodness, there are some days I can’t even stand to be around myself.  Life gets heavy and seems too hard and it’s an effort to just get up and press on.  We all have our days.  No one is perfect. We are human.  But I want to try to do better this year.  In 2013 I want to try to be better:  to make someone smile when they are having a bad day, to send an encouraging text, to give someone a needed hug, to say ‘thank you’ in the line-up, to let someone go ahead of me, to hold a door open for someone who needs an extra hand, etc.etc..  

True joy comes from the Lord.  On the days when the present seems unbearable, He is our joy.  On the days when the pressures of life seem too heavy, He is our joy.  On the days when we don’t understand the why’s, He is our joy.  He is constant, faithful and He has saved our souls.  There will be a day when we will spend forever with Him and be Joyful all day, every day!  That thought alone should bring us Joy, Joy, Joy!  If you don’t know Jesus, seek Him and the joy He can bring to your life.  Nothing else compares to the assurance of His presence in our lives.

Romans 15:13:  “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Will you join me?  Will you strive to be a “source or cause for delight” in 2013?  Will you go the extra mile to bring a smile to someone’s face?  Will you surround yourself with people who bring you joy? 

Psalms 5:11-12: “But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy.

Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.   Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.”

So, until I write again I encourage you to: Be Strong, Stand Firm and Believe in Miracles! 

Our God is a God of Miracles! 

Count Your Blessings…