Day 9 JoyFull

Have you ever been around someone who is full of joy? No matter what? Like, even when life has just handed them : a bomb. a disappointment. a bad report card. a reject letter. a hurt. a hurricane. a tornado. a despair..?..and I could go on an on with depressing words.  And, that same person, who seems WAY too joyful,  is giving you a half smile and saying "this too shall pass" ? Does it annoy you or make you re-think your own circumstances and how you react?  What is in them that can keep the "half smile" there? For me, b/c I am one of THOSE--  ( let's be honest, MOST times), it doesn't necessarily means I'm a goofy/idiot who laughs/smiles all the time in any/all circumstances. But, for the most part, can do these things. 1. sigh (I'm a good sigh-er) 2. whine in my head for awhile (maybe a good while) 3. cry if needed (crying thro my smile) 4. cuss (yes, sometimes I do)  and 5. which should be moved to #1 but, hey, I'm human--PRAY..Most times those things help me when I feel there is a mountain in front of me. Sometimes it's impossible to smile when I am putting on my "mountain gear", but hey---I try.... 

I remember once,  when I was in my 20's, someone actually close to me (I won't say who but I'll give initials: MIL), said "I saw you driving the other day with that goofy grin on your face".
 Like, do you have any idea how that deflated me? DEFEATED me?  embarrassed me??? I was thinking, do I look like an idiot smiling while I'm driving? For YEARS I would not smile when driving anymore. In fact, that  "one mean comment" made me cry and took so much joy from me for so long. Until one day I realized that idiotic comment was stealing my joy. So, I began, right then, to smile again in the car! ...while on this note, there is something that will thwart someone's joy every.single. time. You know what that is??? It's called: Sarcasm. I HATE that word. And I hate it when people are sarcastic. I heard once that in every sarcastic remark is a kernel of truth. I believe it! It's mean. It's done with intent to be mean. Kind of like I always told my girls "arsenic with sugar on top". If you are sarcastic, you won't be in my circle of friends, I can promise you that. Sorry, but I just can't deal with that.

Life is short. There are conversations you have every day.  Verbals and face to face ones/ FB ones/ text ones/ phone ones (and all can be taken differently! Especially in emails and texts! beware!). For me, I have started weighing  words more before I say/write  them.How bad would it be if I hurt someone like MIL did for me? that took years to slough off.  Until I found out that I can still be JoyFULL in hard situations.Or when someone says a mean, sarcastic thing to me.  Not easy. But  possible.  I am "preaching to the choir" (I like that little phrase, can you tell? but oh so true)  as each day I have things come my way that will threaten to thwart my joy--just like with you, things come so unexpectedly--bad news/ money worries/ insurance problems/ budgets/ health/ worry for family/sarcastic and mean words/people who, no matter how hard you try, try to discredit or hurt you?..... and the list is unending.Is it possible to swallow those and smile? I believe it is.  *And I just bet Jesus would be smiling as He was driving if He were here today! So there, MIL.

 Terry and I started praying together before he leaves for work each morning and have been doing this for almost a year now. It was hard at first, I won't lie! We had always  prayed with others, but when it's just us two? You think that's easy? Most times, YES, but sometimes it's freakin' hard!!! (especially if we were irritated with each other, HAHA)... Sometimes we go into it with tears for others/ sometimes in worry/ most times in praise/always in prayer for our children and grands but I always ask God to give us both joy despite our problems .  HE WILL ADMIT IT, Terry has a hard time with the "joy factor" , lol. But, that's ok as I tell him, "you are my ying to my yang".  I can bring the Joy and he can be the realistic one. (What if we were both having "idiotic smiles on our faces" all the time?  *MIL! ). But, strangely enough, when I am not feeling that joyful, Terry will pull me back and he will be the one to help me get my joy back. God is good like that. And, seeing Terry smile when I'm not feeling like doing so, makes me smile back. (it's like yawning, you can't see someone and not smile back if they are smiling at you!)! *We laugh all the time about this. He told me, "I'm trying to see more joy!" Bless it.*

So, today, I'm praying for those I love to find joy in unexpected circumstances today.   To have a  SERENDIPITY Day. A day when you feel soooo much joy that you HAVE to stop, right then and there, and say "thanks God."  (Even on days that suck. Even more on those days!).

John 15:11: " These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that YOUR  JOY (my emphasis) may be full."

 (that's Jesus' words, peeps!  And He knows best! 
have a JOYFULL day

#bringonthejoy #smilewhileyouredriving #JoyFull
#carrythecross #40days #serendipity