Let me say a little something about joy. First of all it’s real and not some abstract, unachievable thing like I generally assumed it was. I have begun to realize joy is the environment of heaven and it lives inside of me. Something I’ve always wondered was how do you cultivate joy and actually live in it? I always wanted it but for me it took way too much effort to achieve.
Well today I woke up in a horrible mood and I could definitely sense the devil trying to take a snag at me. As I was fighting off the temptation to side with the lies Satan was feeding me I felt sad and worn out. I began reminding myself that the joy of the Lord is my strength and that I have been freed from depression and lies I believed about myself. God had given me a brand new day in the Philippines and I wasn’t going to let the enemy walk all over me as if it had some sort of authority over me. I gave my day to God. I placed myself in His presence where He could fill me with Joy. As the day went on He began to fill me. Painting walls with friends while listening to Christmas music, dance parties and baking goodies in the kitchen, going to bible study and seeing my small group of girls faces light up as I walked in the room, and being bombarded with hugs (especially that one hug where her little arms barely reached above my knees). Jesus loves me through these little girls. When they ask to be spun around or just want to skip down the street my heart literally melts with happiness.
So in an environment like the World Race where I am constantly coming and going, loving with the whole heart is a risk but it’s a risk worth taking. Especially since the very Being and Essence of love has promised to always fill me up. It’s a gift but it must be given in return. So as I was giving I was receiving even more, and nothing has given me more joy than that.
