I choose JOY

At MOMS group yesterday, our speaker's topic was joy. To be specific, the title of the talk was "Ice Cream in Winter: Savoring Joy will Storms Brew." While she didn't go into great detail about her own "storms," I appreciated the perspective she shared.

I loved how she defined joy as "not the absence of problems, but the presence of God." I have several friends and acquaintances who have experienced many trials and "storms." All of them come out of those experiences as changed individuals, some for the better, some for the worse. Listening to our speaker share, it was obvious that she was one who came out of trials with joy still intact and even overflowing. Many of my friends have exhibited the same, and I am impressed by and thankful for their encouraging example. It often leads me to think of my own life and the example that I am to others.

I have lived a very blessed life. I will be the first to admit that my life has really not been that hard. I grew up in an amazing family and now share my life with an amazing man (and his great family) and our awesome little boy. We have all stayed healthy and our needs are provided for. We are building a wonderful community of friends. Life is good. We are blessed.

I have every reason in the world to be joyful, but am I always joyful? No. Hardly. In fact, I would say that I am probably not characterized by most as a joyful person. It's not that I'm grumpy, it's just that I'm not "exuberant" or "bubbly" or "outgoing." And often times, joy has to be a conscious choice for me. I find that on many days, I whine and complain about the trivial things that I have no control over or that really don't matter in the big picture. God is SO much bigger than any of my problems and I constantly have to be reminded of that.

Since yesterday, I've tried hard to choose joy...
*When I was doubled over in pain from acid reflux yesterday, but it was because of that beautiful baby growing in my belly...JOY

*When Trevin needed his inhaler twice yesterday, but took it like a champ...JOY

*When Trevin woke up three times in the night last night because he was wheezing, but fell asleep in my arms each time I got him...JOY

*When I needed to take Trevin to the doctor for the 2nd time this week, but knew I'd get some help and answers...JOY

*When we had to stay at the doctor's office for two hours to observe Trevin's breathing progress, so we wouldn't end up in the ER later on...JOY

*When we came home with a bundle of meds to help Trevin breathe, meds I'm not all that excited about, but will help my son breathe easier...JOY

God is good...in every way. I choose JOY.