Five Minute Friday: Joy

Joy.  Such a small word, such deep meaning.

Where does joy come from?  The song above states it clearly:  the world didn’t give it and the world can’t take it away.  I believe that in order to have joy and really appreciate it, you must look higher and farther than what we can see on our own.  This world, this life, the things we do aren’t the real joy-givers.  Yes, there are plenty, plenty of happy times, happy moments.  Pleasant euphorias.  But, joy goes farther than just what we can do for ourselves.  Joy comes from God.  In order to appreciate joy (defined as: the emotion of great delight cause by something exceptionally good or satisfying) we need supernatural help with that.  This is why people who are terminally ill, down trodden, below rock bottom can still smile.  They look to Jesus and cling to hope in Him.  This is how you can keep your joy.  No, you should not have a fake smile plastered on your face at all times (like The Joker from Batman), but joy allows you to not quit, to not give up during the rough patches.

This joy that comes from God allows us to find joy in all the smaller moments.  A baby’s smile.  A dirty house (means that it’s lived in and you have things can make it dirty).  The beauty of frost.  The fun of a embarrassing adventure (well, that laugh comes much later than the actual moment).  And on and on and on.  But you see your life with new eyes when your joy, your emotion is based on God’s standard.

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Why don’t you give it a try now?  You’ll have a blast.  You can click the button below to link up too, if you’re up to the challenge.  Basically, write for 5 minutes straight.  Say goodbye to editing, critiquing, and formal train of thought.  Rather, just sit, think on the topic and write whatever comes to mind.  Enjoy!