Joy for the Journey

“This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24, NKJV).

Are giants stealing your joy? Giants may come in the form of illness, broken relationships, fears, uncertain careers, death, divorce, or issues from our past. Giants want to scare us and knock the wind out of us. They leave us feeling hopeless, burned out, cheated on, lied to, robbed, and scammed. Our hearts can be broken. Our souls can be battered. We become the “walking wounded.”

But as big as they are, giants can fall. The giant stealing your joy and breaking your heart can be stopped. Shake off the binding chains, and run forward with purpose, intention, and hope. 

I choose hope by deciding to no longer be stuck in the rut of sadness, numbness, anger, unwise spending, or wheel-spinning emptiness. When I intentionally begin to blame less and bless more, frown less and laugh more, hate less and love more, doubt less and dream more, gripe less and cheer more, sit less and move more, discourage less and encourage more, eat less and pray more, fear less and hope more, I feel the joy returning! I start to be more of who God created me to be! 

It’s easy to get lost and confused in the everyday, especially if we are going through the daily grind feeling unsatisfied and insignificant. We get trapped into wishing our lives away.

I say “we” because I am guilty of this, too. I still have days when I feel sad, down, or worried. Some days, I have a hard time getting started. The key to my joy is focusing on what God tells me, not what the world throws at me. A new beginning can begin at any time. Here’s how: 

1.  Say to yourself, “It’s time for a change.”

You are never too old to change or begin again. Change often means changing what you commit to. Practice saying “no” to the things you need to let go of and “yes” to the things that will improve your life, make you better, and fill you with joy, because they are what you love to do. 

Instead of shooting from the hip, shoot from the lip! Get a grip on the lip so life won’t be exhausting. Say no and refocus on what gives you joy and purpose. Your greatest accomplishments will be that you had the courage to begin and the endurance to keep going. 

The only way to experience joy in your journey is to do what you have a passion for, do what is right for you. Move forward, keep your eyes on the goal, and never miss the blessings along the way. Do what you can to make things happen in a positive way, and quickly dismiss negativity. Live a life you can be proud of. If your priorities change and you find yourself hiding from people or feeling ashamed, find the strength to start over again, even if that means saying, “I’m sorry.”

2.  Decide what is most important, and stick with it.

Busyness is not a spiritual gift. It distracts you from what is important. There is a big difference between being busy and being productive. Instead of running nowhere in every direction, walk in the direction you want to go. 

Make a list of the most important things in your life. List them in order. Give up the things that weigh you down and cause imbalance. They can make you angry, stressed, snappy, and cold. When we have balance, we are more kind, caring, compassionate, and understanding. Only then can we make a profound difference in the lives of others, as well as ourselves. Compassion will have us hugging the hopeless, comforting the sad and grieving, and laughing with those who haven’t laughed in a long time. 

3.  Choose to be positive.

Life gets better when you decide to make it better; it always begins with a choice. Moaning and groaning and whining are a trap. Do not give in to this kind of behavior.

Life is full of challenges and opportunities. When you grasp courage and boldness with both hands, you can make a difference, not only in your life but the lives of others. People are attracted to such people because, when the world feels like it is crashing down, positive people will find a way out of the chaos with a grin on their faces. 

4. Realize you can’t fix everything or everyone.

We can only control ourselves; as hard as we try, we cannot control others. When we try to, we become entangled in a web of confusion, frustration, and stress. Then we have a mess. When it looks like nothing is changing and you are manipulating a situation outside your control, go to a quiet place, refocus, and let God deal with it. You are not a self-appointed Holy Spirit for people. God can handle it better than you can. Let go of the need to control everyone else’s lives, and search within the depths of your soul for the peace that surpasses all understanding. 

5. Leave the past behind.

We all have a story to tell and a wound to heal. Some of us visit the dark places of our past day after day. We know it’s poison, but we continue to embrace it thinking we can put the pieces of the puzzle together again. Or we go over the “woulda, shoulda, couldas” thinking we can change the past. 

Leave the pieces where they are. Walk out of the dark place knowing that the puzzle can’t be put back the way it was. Close the door; walk into the light with your arms open wide. Get on the path to recovery, hope, joy, and peace. Seek to “get even” with all those who have done right by you and stop wasting time trying to get even with those who have done you wrong. 

6. Be an inspiration.

No matter how overwhelming life’s challenges and problems appear to be, or how insignificant you might feel, you can make a difference in the world. You can’t be everything to everybody, but you can still be something to someone. Most people will tell you that the reason they changed is because someone cared enough to listen and show them kindness in a world that at times is so unkind. 

When our final days come, we will not remember entire days, we will remember moments. The big things we tried to accomplish often pale in the end when compared to the little blessings along the way. Don’t let something that does matter lose out to something that doesn’t. Take time to notice those things from this day forward, one day and one decision at a time. And taste a little joy in your journey.

~ By Tammy Whitehurst