Once upon a time I was a super joyful person! The joy was outward and that’s how people would describe me. Then life happened.
My grandma got super sick and ended up passing away. With her passing my joy seemed to fade. From October 2014, when my grandma first got super sick to about a week ago I was not living in continuous joy. I was more of a solemn person which isn’t bad but it’s just not me. There would be moments of joy but it wasn’t continuous.
My first month in Albania I was wanting that joy again and so I prayed a lot for it. There would be days I was more joyful than others, but it wasn’t something I chose to step into each day. As I continued to pray for joy God showed me something this last week. Actually He had been showing me it all along, but I just chose to finally listen.
He showed me that the joy is always there I just choose whether or not to step into it. For the last week I have chosen it! I have noticed a big change and so have others. I have had multiple squad mates tell me that I’ve been a lot happier this week and I just have to correct them and say it’s joy.
I am so thankful that God is renewing this spirit of joy in me as well as everything else He is teaching me. There are some lessons that are hard to learn but I trust that He knows what He is doing!
