finding my way back to joy

As I wrote in my journal this morning, I came to the realization that joy feels like it’s hard to grasp. It isn’t easy to get a hold of or solid to come by in my own life. That often it’s easier to feel bitter, like when Naomi says call her Mara because it feels like God has taken from her.

Bitterness is ease. It often is easy to trace the ways that life isn’t going according to plan, whether it’s the lack of excitement in our lives or the amount of unwanted circumstances that pile like leaves in your lap. I can write a list in five minutes of all the things that don’t feel right about my life, and present it to God as a testimony of his unfaithfulness (but that isn’t the whole story).

Coming to the end of my journaling, the question I have to ask myself is this: Can you invite joy into the room?

Can you invite joy into the room? A heart that meditates on all that hasn’t come to pass or gone to plan is a heart that has trained in the wrong philosophy. While we can acknowledge the longings of our heart and we should, we tell a partial story about our lives when we refuse to look at all the small glimpses of joy.

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So here’s to finding my way back to joy… 

The first step is simple. Doing something you love. I can brew myself a cup of earl grey and be thankful for the gift of bergamot in tea. Or curl up with a murder mystery or a classic novel if I want a challenge. Cleaning my space as it’s a great way to clear my head. Listen to one of my favorite albums.

Count your blessings. I know! This is such a cliche. But it’s cliche for a reason. We are often meditating, going over again and again in our minds, the things that aren’t right or we don’t like or we wish would change. But we don’t do the same for what we appreciate. So, yes, count your blessings. 

I love my bookshelves with wood paneling as a backdrop. I am thankful that my dad gives the best hugs ever. I am grateful for the Lord being a friend to me in the midst of lonely moments, that I can lean on him. I am thankful for a job that is mostly stable and steady. 

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Now, go and do the same!

Part of what’s blocking our joy is that we aren’t ruthless about removing the triggers that lead us to envy. Envy is a real struggle, especially living in an era where we have access to everyone else’s curated version of their lives. Gentle readers, don’t believe everything you see. 

Honestly, it’s a lack of boundaries that lets us peek a little too often into lives that are not our own. Then we begin comparing the pace God is moving in their life with our own, and it gets messy quickly. Have guardrails on your media use.

Decide when and how you want to be on social media. Don’t be afraid to set limits. Part of the underlying waters we swim in when it comes to media is the belief that we’re limitless. We are not. We’re finite, and so it’s good to set some solid boundaries.

Related Post: 12 thoughts: from sermons to spring vol. 2

Life does not consist of the abundance of possessions. We cannot buy our way into joy. But if we shift our eyes upward, whether through prayer or gratitude, we will often find a greater capacity to perceive the richness of life unfolding around us in everyday moments. Even the axiom touch grass has a greater meaning. Nature has a way of expanding our perspective. Things are temporary, which means that the bad won’t always stay and the good is meant to be cherished in the here and now.

If part of what’s blocking your road back to joy is waiting on the fruition of a desire, may I enlighten you with something? If you’re finding that the waiting is making you bitter, you might have your eye on the wrong target. Whether it’s watching someone else get what you desire or seeing the lack of it in your own life, that point of view isn’t leading to peace or joy.

As important as fulfillment of desire is, it’s more important that you don’t let yourself become someone anticipating disappointment. In my life, it looks like recognizing that though I’m not where I wish I was, my path is not unknown to God. He might be taking the scenic route, rather than the express lane I wish I was on.

What are some practices that are helping you find your way back to joy? Share below!

Signing off,

Gigi