Choose Joy

SERIES: Don't Worry, Be Happy (1 of 5)
Choose Joy

Who doesn’t feel good listening to that 80’s song, Don’t Worry, Be Happy? There’s a lot to be said for living a life free of worry...because saying is easier than doing! This month, I’m praying for you and about the things that worry you (feel free to let me know if there is anything specific I can pray for). I want to share some thoughts I hope will encourage you along the way, too.
   
Have you heard the phrase thrown around, “choose joy”?  The implication is that joy is a choice not dependent on our changing circumstances, but on a conscious decision. I ran across this story on a blog, lisalenoard.com :
   
The phrase ‘choose joy’ used to turn my stomach. So trite. So fake. Just choose joy—it’s easy, right? No, it’s not easy, but I believe it’s possible.
   
A few years ago Steve and I traveled to Thailand to visit friends and meet artisans. We joined our friends, and some of their friends for dinner one evening. One of the girls in the group had just celebrated her 15th birthday.
“Wow, fifteen” I thought. “She’s only been in a Thailand for a couple years. What’s it like to be an American girl at fifteen, living in Thailand?” So I asked her.
   
“It’s been really hard,” She answered honestly. “I didn’t want to move. I miss my friends back in the United States. I don’t know the language and I’ve felt lonely and sad. But last week was my birthday. So I decided to be happy and not worry about all the hard things. I decided to enjoy the day. It was great! I felt so free. I laughed and had fun. It was the first time I felt happy since we moved here. The next morning, I woke up and asked myself, ‘Why not be happy again today?’ So I did. Since then, I’ve been enjoying Thailand. It’s beautiful here. I’m making friends. I like it.”
~ See original blog post here
   
I’m a very pragmatic person. If it sounds good, that’s nice, but how do I make it work? I was impressed by the truth this 15-year-old discovered, “Why not be happy again today”. She started with a one day decision (manageable) and simply decided to repeat it . Join me...let’s choose joy today, and then repeat tomorrow!

Your service is appreciated,
Pastor Rob

Links to other posts in this series: Don't Worry, Be Happy- Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5