Choosing Joy

I loved this post by {Sherrie Johnson about Joy}. As I read it I thought about my day and wondered if I CHOSE to feel joy.

I thought about our morning shopping experience with a crying Max. I thought it would be possible to find the right size of jeans, have 2 kiddos each try on a single pair, and purchase them in under 30 minutes. It may be possible unless you're wrangling a teething toddler (4 eye teeth at the same time!). Joy? I wasn't quite there at that moment ... mostly just full of frazzled nerves.

Then I thought about our FHE Activity of jump roping and hopscotch. A large dog walked by and extreme panic overtook Hannah and Abe who jetted inside... only Abe's fingers accidentally got slammed in the door by the overanxious sister. Joy? Didn't quite get there at that moment either.

There were a few other situations like that today that made it a tiring sort of day.

Those situations were extremely minor and not a catastrophe ... just times when you realize you need to dig deep down, find more patience, look beyond that moment, and know that frustrating moments will pass.

But - it made me think about my attitude and choice to 'find joy'. I very sincerely believe what Sherrie wrote:

"But joy is out there waiting for us at any time, because while joy can be a consequence it is also a choice. ...

Lehi told his son that “Men are that they might have joy” (2 Nephi 2:25).

That doesn’t mean good things are always supposed to happen to us. It means that we are to learn how to find joy in any situation we are in." Sherrie Johnson

And I've always liked Joseph B Wirthlin's message about "Come what may, and LOVE it." It's so REAL - yet positive!:

"Every life has peaks and shadows and times when it seems that the birds don’t sing and bells don’t ring. Yet in spite of discouragement and adversity, those who are happiest seem to have a way of learning from difficult times, becoming stronger, wiser, and happier as a result.

"How can we love days that are filled with sorrow? We can’t — at least not in the moment. I don’t think my mother was suggesting that we suppress discouragement or deny the reality of pain. I don’t think she was suggesting that we smother unpleasant truths beneath a cloak of pretended happiness. But I do believe that the way we react to adversity can be a major factor in how happy and successful we can be in life." Joseph B. Wirthlin "Come What May, and Love it."

Overall - I don't expect a perfect day every single day. I get discouraged, frustrated, sad, and tired. But my goal is to be more aware of 'FINDING JOY' through the struggles. I suppose I need to practice so that when I have a real crisis in this mortal life, I will focus on faith, hope, and joy through Christ to make it through.

"No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. To those who knock, it is opened." C.S. Lewis (in The Great Divorce)

Another great one my friend Charity shared on her bloggie:

"The most fundamental of all human searches is for happiness. We each choose our own happiness. As President Harold B. Lee once said: “Happiness does not depend on what happens outside of you but on what happens inside of you. It is measured by the spirit with which you meet the problems of life.” It will often be necessary for all of us to choose between having a good time and leading a good life." President James E. Faust, Ensign March 2001 (Great talk by the way!)

(RENEWED by European Artist T. White & Be Happy by Duda Daze)