This morning woke me with anxious thoughts, but as I prayed them away and my anxiety was soothed, I was reminded that joy really is a daily choice we can make. I like to think of joy in the biblical sense: as a lifting of the spirit to a place of profound inner contentment, rather than simply a fleeting feeling of happiness.
My "Daily Word" for today reinforced these thoughts:
"Even during the most trying times, I need never forgo the feeling of deep joy when I remain centered in God. Joy is not a mood; it is so much more than a feeling. It is one of my spiritual gifts, an aspect of my divine inheritance. I can meet life's difficulties with joy and serenity. I draw upon my indwelling joy in the same way I would draw water from a well. Even though I might not find water on the surface, I trust that if I reach for it, I will find it beneath the surface. The same thing is true for joy...I trust that joy is the love beyond the pain, the health beyond the illness and the forgiveness beyond the hurt." (Daily Word, Unity Publications, August 12, 2024).
So, today, as I go about my morning routine, I will consciously draw upon the inner well of joy by envisioning that with each breath, I am connecting to and claiming my Divine inheritance, the fruits of the Spirit.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22)
Amen
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