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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Joy (05/18/06)
The simple joy a child has when Santa Claus has visited is a cherished moment. The wide eyed wonder and ear to ear smile is worth more than any picture. Children seem to find joy in the smallest things. As adults, we work so hard and long that we often overlook the simplicity of life, therefore; overlooking any potential for joy.
We have the help we need in God. God gives us opportunities for joy everyday. We just have to have our eyes open enough to see them. Birds sing their songs with joy in their voices. Dogs chase Frisbees with joy in their pounce. Why shouldn’t we have joy in everything we do? Do you go to work with joy in your heart? Do you help others just for the pleasure of helping them?
It is easy to get caught up in resentments and disappointments which destroy our chance for happiness. We cannot get through the troubles we face on our own resources; we have to have help from God if we are to be truly happy, joyous and free. Joy comes in small doses. A perfectly cooked steak, a vacation on a manicured beach or a brand new car gives us a false sense of joy. These things don’t last.
The steak is gone as soon as we eat it. Our vacation at the beach will eventually end and we must return home. The brand new car depreciates and becomes old. These things are temporary and do not give us a full sense of joy. Material objects can satisfy our impulsive joy but our goal should be eternal joy. A lifetime of joy cannot be attained through physical or material pleasures.
God taps us on the shoulder and points out joy in our lives. Meditation gives joy that lasts throughout the day; and we can do this however often during the day we need to. Unlike the steak, vacation or car; our joy of meditation and spending quality time with God will last forever, as long as we seek that peace. When we allow God to take the steering wheel in our lives, we allow Him to infiltrate our soul, mind and body. True joy comes with intimacy with God.
“I’ve got joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart.” Joy is supposed to be down in our hearts, not in our heads. Our minds play tricks on us, but our hearts, if filled with the love of God, are filled with joy. We cannot have joy all day, everyday; but we should strive for it. If we create small doses of joy by small objects just imagine what God has in store for us.
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Member Comments
Member
Date
Valerie Routhieaux
05/31/06
There are lots of things that give us happiness, but there is one true joy. I enjoyed your article. It was well written and thought provoking. Good job. Keep it up.