The last week and half, I have been feeling really joyful and it’s one of the most beautiful feelings I have ever experienced.
FYI, the word joy/joyful will be shown up a lot in this particular blog!
No, nothing amazing happened this week. I’m just living the everyday normal life of waking up, going to work, coming home from work, working on fundraising for the race, eating dinner, working out, watching little tv, then going to bed. It’s the same routine everyday. So how could I be joyful if I am doing the same routine everyday?
You would think when someone says, “I am feeling very joyful today”, that something good happened to them that day. But I’ve learned this week that you don’t need something great to happen to you in order to get that joy feeling. You have a choice, and that’s either feeling sad/angry or feeling peaceful/joyful. Feeling joyful CAN help you get through the day and feel good about yourself. Now, how did I get here?
I came across this wonderful devotion last week about “Through Times of Trial”.
We need to remember this when we are going through hard times: The Lord is with us even when our circumstances seem to shout that He has deserted us.
When the problems of life seem overwhelming, we need someone to come alongside and help us to see our difficulties through the eyes of our sovereign God. Joseph is just such a person. Although he lived thousands of years ago, his story still speaks to us with great insight into the Lord’s purposes.
Joseph experience a wide variety of trials – hatred, rejection, and betrayal by his brothers; loss of home, family, and freedom; false accusation and imprisonment; and the loneliness and disappointment of being forgotten. His life was a series of difficult and unfair situations, yet Scripture never records any bitterness or revenge in Joseph’s responses to all these circumstances.
Though outwardly it may have seemed as if God has abandoned the young man, He was doing some awesome work in Joseph’s heart. The Lord had big plans for him, and He knew that these trials would be the most effective tools in preparing His servant for the work that lay ahead.
As Joseph responded to each situation with faith in God and diligence in every task assigned to him, one fact became obvious to all who knew him: The Lord was with Joseph (Gen. 39:2, 21, 23).
We need to remember this when we are going through hard times: The Lord is with us even when our circumstances seem to shout that He has deserted us. We may have little control over the difficulties we face, but we each have a choice of how to respond. Joseph calls to us from out of the past, urging us to trust God.
That moment, I knew I had to make a choice.
Either be sad or be joyful. I made the choice of feeling JOYFUL! I made the choice of trusting God. I made the choice of smiling and getting past the frustrations, the insecurities I had been feeling, and forgiving those who hurt me.
Ever since I made those choices, I HAVE been feeling joyful. I just want to scream to the world and show them how much joy I am feeling. It’s amazing what God can do for you. He really works in mysterious ways!
You don’t need something great happen to you in order to feel joy. God loves you, you should be feeling joyful no matter what the circumstances are!
God Bless <3
PS: So far I have raised around 1,050! For those of you that prayed and donated, THANK YOU! I appreciate it so much!
Let’s all take a moment, feel the joy and dance!!
