“I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Live within my love. When you obey me you are living in my love, just as I obey my Father and live in his love. I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your cup of joy will overflow! John 15:9-11 The Living Bible
As I had been praying and thinking about what to share, my thoughts kept circling around the word joy. These times we are living in lately seem to have sapped out of us the feeling of joyfulness. As the scripture says, if we live in God’s love, which is loving and caring for others as we love and care for ourselves, our cup of joy will overflow. As I strive to live as Jesus shows us, I also wondered what recently has caused me to have a sense of joy?
So I begin my “joy” list with the rain that we received last week and hopefully more will be coming. I love watching and listening to the rain, the thunder and lightning that can catch you off guard, and the misty light sprinkles where a rainbow can peek through. I feel joy to breathe in deeply the clean crisp and refreshing air.
Watching our sweet dog curl up in her blanket and act like there isn’t a care in the world that she needs to worry about and sleeps the storms away, gives me a sense of joy.
Watching flowers bloom in the midst of a yard that is slightly messy from too many weeds, and yet the flowers continue on in doing what they were created to do and show forth their beauty.
Being able to see and almost reach out and touch our incredible mountain range when they are covered with snow, turn a 180 and see Catalina so closely because some days we forget it’s there.
Being able to wave at my neighbors and chat from a distance making sure all is well with them, brings me joy.
The best joy of all is getting a FaceTime call from our grandkids even though I watch them every week. Ending the call time with our grandson, who will be 4 in March, asking us “Why did the turkey cross the road?… Why? (we asked)… To stretch his legs of course!!”
I hope this brought a smile and a sense of joy to you this day and I hope and pray you can find joy in your everyday living in the smallest of ways. Know that God’s love is always with you in the big and in the small moments of your day. Be filled to overflowing with the joy of the Lord!
‘May the Lord bless and protect you; may the Lord’s face radiate with joy because of you; may the Lord be gracious to you, show you his favor, and give you his peace.’ Numbers 6:24-26 The Living Bible
Blessings,
Brenda