The Character of Joy

Count it all Joy!  You say...yeah right...you don't know my life and what I'm going through...I'd like to see you count this stuff I'm going through as joy!  Have I always done this?...no...but remember character is something you build...still working on this section of my house:-)

So how do you make lemonade when life gives you lemons?  Let's think of another of those promises I love so much in the scriptures.  "The joy of the Lord is my strength."  Oh...so that's where my strength comes from huh?  If you try to face all the obstacles that come your way in your life in your own strength...at some point you are going to get exhausted and discouraged....definitely not joyful.  We should all realize that the joy that only comes from knowing the One who gives joy is what you need to face everything.

This is not to say you won't have bad days...those are a part of life.  It's not to say that you won't be sad at times...sad things happen.  What it means is that you can face those bad and sad times with the assurance that you don't have to be strong...God will be your strength and give you joy even in the midst of those times.  Thank goodness for that kind of joy...in that case...I count it all joy!

---