Choose Joy

Funny story: Michael and I  had planned a date night. Nothing special, just going out for supper and taking advantage of the free coffee at Mcdonalds. I was really looking forward to it. Date nights, depending on the time of year can be few and far between, but we try really hard to make them as frequent as possible. The day started out pretty great, I had a massage that afternoon then I would go home and get Michael and we would head into town. On our way we got a call from a friend who needed some help at work. So we headed in that direction, and upon arriving realized this could take a while. 2 hours later we were just about to leave only to get stuck in the snow! We got

Pulled out and finally made our way into Portage. By this time it was dark, and we were quickly reminded that the only lights that worked on our vehicle were our brights. We got flashed a lot, and I'm pretty sure made some people pretty angry! So, although by this time we were     VERY hungry we made a pit stop at canadian tire to buy new Lightbulbs. Already, doesn't this just sound like the perfect date? (yes, that was sarcasm) we decided to eat at boston pizza, and ended up running into Michaels parents, so we sat down with them and I guess had a bit of a double date! We ended the evening with some pretty great conversation over a coffee and ice cream at Mcdonalds.

I tell this story because everything that happened that night challenged something very specific that God had/has been teaching me. Choose Joy. Choose joy when things are good and going your way. Choose joy when your baby wakes up in the middle of the night and all you want to do is sleep. Choose joy when the date night planned with your husband goes completely wrong. 

I've been reading through James lately and have been challenged with how I view happiness and joy. Though similar, they're two different things! Happiness very often depends on your circumstances, joy on the other hand, does not. In fact, in James the author tells us to choose joy when we face trials of many kinds, persecution and hardship. Now I know that my day to day struggle with being joyful doesn't compare to suffering persecution or even other really hard things that I know others face. But, I believe that choosing joy starts with the small things. If I can't be joyful now,how will I be able to find joy when hardships really do come? 

So, I'm trying. I'm trying to remind myself daily to choose joy. To be joyful despite my circumstances. To be thankful for the little things that go wrong in my day and to see that even those things are working to perfect my faith and make me

More like my Savior. It's not easy, in fact it's pretty hard, but God is faithful and in him I have every reason to be full of Joy. 

James 1: 2 -4

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,

for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."