A couple of years ago, I got Rocky the book Outrageous, Contagious Joy, by Ed Young Jr, a TV preacher we enjoyed watching while we were on our church search, and when Maggie was a baby and we would skip church in Virginia. The book is good. He writes about the difference between Joy and Happiness, and while Happiness is fleeting, true Joy continues through all mood swings. So, are you happily married, or joyfully married?
I was looking at some recent photo folders on the computer and found some videos of Maggie that I hadn't watched in some time and I realized that she is not just a happy little kid, but joyful. Oh sure, she can be Miss Grumpy Pants in the mornings (but if you ask her, she will reply, "I'm Maggie and my pants are nice.") But Joy is not about circumstances or the moment. Joy is deeper, not about feelings, but about something spiritual. In the past month, there has not been a lot for me to be happy about: the miscarriage, lots of hard changes at work. But I can choose to be joyful, and not let these circumstances define me. But watching this video of Maggie reminds me how easy it can be to ACT joyful:
what a great lesson.
ReplyDelete