Count It All Joy....

Count it ALL joy....

When I think about joy, the image of my precious daughter smiling comes to mind.  Before you stop reading thinking I am going to go on and on about my gorgeous little goober (which I could)... give me a sec.  When my Izzy smiles, her entire face radiates joy.  From the top of her head to bottom of her little chin.... you can just see the genuine joy and happiness from every crevice on her stinkin' cute little face.  

When my brothers and I were kids, my mom used to have us listen to a program called Adventures in Odyssey.  I remember one program where a child was learning to "count in all joy" throughout a terrible day she was having and for whatever reason, that little saying has stuck with me for all these years.

Just today, my mom and I were talking about various things (I love my mom and her wisdom) and my mom made the comment that she wishes that as an adult she could always smile as genuine and joyfully as Isabella.  It got me to thinking... why can't we?

Isabella smiles at just about anybody.  Today at the restaurant, my little cookie was grinning at everyone who walked past our table.  I am talking a full-blown smile.  Some of the people who were receiving her attention didn't even notice!  (How can you NOT notice that gorgeous grin is beyond me!)  I  am learning as I age, how easy it is to lose your joy.  It's so easy to become guarded, standoffish, or wary of others.  It's so easy to become judgmental, competitive, and fake.  How often do we plaster on a smile before heading into work after a rough morning, or smile and giggle with the best of them at church?  I am guilty.  We have lost that genuine joy and happiness that sweet children have and share so willingly.  Isabella can be on the brink of a dead-to-the-world nap, but when I look at her or talk to her, she gives me a little grin.  She can be unfamiliar with someone as she clings to my neck, but she'll peek out and offer up a sly little smile... She can be fussing up one side and down the other or she can be as mad as a wet hen, but you call her name and talk silly to her, I promise you'll see a big ol' grin on that tear-streaked face.

James 1:2-4 says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

Lately, I find myself focusing in on the negative things in my life.  Boy howdy are they sometimes easy to zone in on!  Here lately, whenever I find myself complaining mentally or focusing on the things in my life I wish were different, I have been hearing a still, small voice whispering, "count it all joy".  I have felt convicted and corrected into realizing that I need to take my thoughts and my attitude captive.  I need to see the things in my life as an opportunity to grow my faith and to help mature and complete the works that Christ is trying to do in me.  I am praying that God begins to help me to see things through a different light--to stop focusing on the negative and to instead be able to count all circumstances as pure joy!