Joy

I've been thinking a lot about "joy" lately. Rather, I've been thinking about my lack of joy. For whatever reason I have been riding an emotional roller coaster recently and have seen the effects of it in my family. You know the saying "If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." Well, I always thought nobody was happy because she was biting everyone's head off but now I realize just how much "Mama's" attitude and frame of mind sets the tone for the whole house. As a wife and mother I have considerable influence on the emotions of our home. Without ever saying a word my husband and children pick up on what I am feeling and it influences the whole house for better or worse. At first I thought, "That's not fair. Can't I just have one day off to have a bad day." Well, I can but the rest of the house will suffer and I'll suffer even more.
Being a wife and mother is a wonderful field for the Lord to sanctify in. I never quite understood the verse "The joy of the Lord is my strength" until I got married and see how it truly is. There is such peace in our home when I choose to rely on God's strength to have joy and happiness even when I may not feel like it. It is not easy but we were never told it would be. "The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control" and I want my husband and children to see that in my spirit.
So now I will choose joy. Joy in all I do and in all my circumstances. After all, "a glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed!"