Choose Joy – Week Two

As you all know, I am doing an online bible study through womensbiblecafe.com about the book Choose Joy by Kay Warren.  (Please note that I am quite a bit behind, but better late than never, right?)  This week Marie Wikle, who runs the online bible study, was explaining that you need to literally choose joy every day of your life, even in the depths of sorrow.  She suggested a few things to do to help you remember how to be joyous.  I would like to share them with you and how my day yesterday reaffirmed this truth.

Do one thing a day for someone else.  This makes you feel good in general.  It really does!  Don’t do it to impress others, or so you can brag about it.  I have a habit of bragging, and I’m working on changing that.  Hey, I’m a work in progress.  Aren’t we all?

Do something you enjoy daily.  This doesn’t need to require money.  Anything that makes you happy, even if it is just to create something with your hands or go for a walk and truly take a moment to enjoy the scenery.

Count your blessings everyday!  Appreciate what is in your life.  Whether it was given to you, or you worked hard to earn it yourself.  Don’t focus on the material things, but the things that truly make you… you.

Find the good side in everything.  Be the glass half full person.  No matter what situation you are in, there is something good that can come out of it.  Even if the only thing you can think of at the time is that you are still alive to live another day.

Having listed these very important requirements yesterday was nothing amazing to the average eye, but to me it was wonderful.  I will list these great and amazing things as I tell my day as follows:

1.  I WOKE UP!  Yes!  And better yet, I was in good enough health to crawl my lazy, cranky butt out of bed and WALK!

2.  I HAVE FRIENDS!  After getting ready for my day, my BFF picked me up and we had some girl time on our way to the Cochranton Youth Football game.  She is extremely grumpy in the morning!  She really couldn’t tolerate my dancing and singing first thing in the morning.  And she even yelled at the poor McDonalds girl, just for smiling! (She obviously did not take the time to find the joy in the ability to get out of bed this morning.  Tisk! Tisk!)

3.  I AM A MENTOR!  I coached a group of cheerleaders at their first football game of the season.  They did great!  I am always so proud of them.  The best and most joyous part: walking onto a crowded field in the morning, when the fog is lifting, carrying my coffee, rushed because as usual we are running late, and suddenly I was stopped by having my coffee almost knocked out of my hand by a nervous cheerleader, in her fresh new uniform, grabbing on to me to give me a huge hug and smile and say good morning.  It is amazing the confidence these young girls learn just by spending a couple of hours a week cheering, but that is another post.  I digress.  Whether we lost the games or not, it is of no consequence.  The sportsmanship and the good old fashioned football were there.  That’s a great morning!

4.  I HELPED A STRANGER!  As we were leaving the football game, with two tiny cheerleaders in the van with us, we came upon a car being pushed down the road by some teenage girls.  BFF blocked traffic well in her van, keeping the cheerleaders safe inside with her, and I jumped out and ran up and pushed with them.  There was a mother steering and a car seat sized child waving out the back window.  No names were exchanged and as soon as they were safely drifting down a driveway, I was back in the van.  I hope everything turned out well for them.  But I do note:  there was a line behind the BFF of other football families, I’m sure.  No one got out!  Not one man pulled over to help a bunch of girls out.  What is the world coming to?  This really hurt my heart.  But what counts is that BFF and I DID help and it gave me joy.

5.  MUSIC!  We cranked up the radio and introduced the girls to our tradition… singing (yelling and in general rocking out) to Meat Loaf’s Paradise by the Dashboard Light and many other absolutely great songs.  Parents were told how fun we were and asked if riding home with us after every game was possible and laughing and giggling abounded.  It felt really great to be the cool, old person.  Lol.  I just wish my son thought the same thing!

6.  I HAVE A MAN WHO LOVES ME!  Although I don’t often give him enough credit, and I am really, really hard on him, and sometimes we are riding an emotional rollercoaster, my fiancé is a great guy.  Because he loves me so much (or else because he can’t stand my wining that much), he rubbed my poor sore knees, which I reinjured while being a Good Samaritan pushing that car.  He is always so kind and giving.  It’s the little things, behind closed doors, that make me love him more and more.

7.  I HAVE AN AMAZING SON!  The worst part of my day was that my son, being the teenager he is, was having some drama that he didn’t want to talk about (apparently, I’m not allowed to pry) and had more enjoyment hiding in his room than spending time with old mom.  But we have to find the good side, right?  I have a son.  I have a son that loves me.  I have a son that allows me to still kiss him goodnight.  I have a son that will ask for food at ten o’clock at night and dance around in front of you until you concede to feeding his monstrous appetite.  He is my joy.  No matter what mood he is in.  No matter what attitude, drama, or chaos he may have or cause me, he is my son, my joy, my purpose and my life.  Who could be luckier?

I think we can all count that as a joyous day.  I found my joy yesterday and shared it with you.  I have already found multiple reasons to thank God for the joys in my life today.  Now, go find yours!