The Fruits: Joy

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.

Galatians 5:22

    This week, I have two very special people to write about. Two people who are some of the most joyous people I know. 

    The first person is someone who I've had the absolute joy (no pun intended) of knowing for 11 years: my younger sister Miah. Fittingly, her middle name is Joy. 

     Miah has always been funny. As a kid, she used to "read" devotionals to us every night, mostly ones that consisted of "Jesus telling us to eat ice cream". She loves to sing, dance, play outside, play games, and a plethora of other things. She likes to take the long way home, or stay up just a little longer to finish a movie. During the summer, she always wants a snow cone, and is always down to go to Braums. I see a joy and eagerness in her that can only be found in kids. Even though she's still a kid, Miah had taught me how to find the joy in life. 

    Joy is a feeling in our soul that is a byproduct of the Holy Spirit working in us, and allows us to see the beauty in creation. Joy isn't an emotion we produce naturally, but the Lord gives us things that we can find joy in. 

  

    When Miah was younger, we used to go on walks at the Wildlife Refuge. She always wanted to go, either to walk, ride her bike, or just hangout in nature. We haven't really done that since we moved, but that's always a memory I associate with Miah. She reminds me of nature, and all the joy I get from it. Thinking of her and her childlike joy reminds me to appreciate the little things, and to always have fun.

    The second person who came to mind is my friend whose name also contains joy: Elizabeth Joy. I've only known her for a few months, but it's seemed like forever. Elizabeth always makes me laugh, even when I'm not supposed to. Last semester, we decided that we couldn't sit next to each other in class because we would laugh too much. But we're definitely not following that rule, because we sit next to each other in two classes. 

    To be honest, I've had a lot more work in college than I expected. At times, it gets stressful and it's hard to be joyful. But Elizabeth always reminds me to be joyful. Whether it's laying out in the sun or going on a walk, rewarding ourselves with ice cream or coffee, Elizabeth always sees the brighter side of things. Of course, she wouldn't say that she does, but she's always a very joyous person. 

    Like Miah, she finds joy in the little things, and it doesn't hurt to surround yourself with people who remind you of this. It's easy to get bogged down in life by all the negativity or the state of the world, or worrying too much about that assignment you have due or thinking about all the meetings you have to make it too. But the Lord has given us joy, and gives us people to help remind of us the joy He brings. 

    If you don't have someone who does this, become that person. Maybe you already are that person and you don't even know it. A little mindset shift can help you see the joy all around you.