Crafting Each Moment

Even though life has been nothing short of a tornado lately, it's also been a huge time of stretching and learning about myself. That is not always good, nor comfortable, however necessary. The long and the short of it is that I struggle with JOY. It's probably something I'll always struggle with. Not contentment, because I am content with where we are and what we are doing. But Joy is a different story.

Joy: Intense and especially ecstatic or exultant happiness. To take great pleasure; rejoice.To fill with ecstatic happiness, pleasure, or satisfaction.

Let me be the first to tell you that hasn't described me these last few months. Do you know what the opposite of joy is? Sorrow. SORROW! Okay maybe that doesn't describe me either, I'm somewhere in between that. But neither of those makes for a fun Mom to be around most days.

It's downright ridiculous. The gratitude I should feel in my heart and wear on my countenance should be exuberant  and yet it's not. Maybe we aren't taking Bahama vacations and wearing Prada but we are rich, we are blessed beyond belief! If only I would stop and take a look around! The extent of my complaining lately has been because we have too much stuff! Too much to pack, unpack and move!

I've been pessimistic about nearly everything lately. Why because yes, this life is hard. In fact Ecclesiastes 7:14 says, "When times are good, be happy (rejoice!!); but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other."

Did you catch that? (excuse me while I talk to myself here for a second) Did you catch that? God has orchestrated in your life, incredible times of happiness and ease of life....and other times of exhaustion and stretching, growing, molding. To teach us about ourselves and even more about Him.  To give us an opportunity to cling to Him and feel first hand is Grace and Love and Mercy. Because honestly when life is too easy, it's also too easy to walk away and take credit for the "good" in life. To pat yourself on the back and say, "Look at all I've done and we've accomplished."

The truth is, while life seems controllable, it isn't..... Ecc 8:7 "No man has power over the wind to contain it, so now one has power over the day of his death."  We don't run things around here! And the sooner I truely come to grips with that the easier it gets!

Ecc 11:10 "SO then banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body!"

With God's grace you can banish anxiety. Refuse to let that negative voice rule your thoughts and your body.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-17" Be joyful always.Pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

This IS God's will for you. It is. By praying and giving thanks continually in all circumstances, not only are you doing the will of God but you are taking on the yoke of joy. Because Joy does not come about with an easy time in life, it's a state of mind.