How Joy Broke Through My Covid Blues

“Choose Joy!” 

I woke up with that thought while feeling grumpy and discouraged. It was Sunday morning, day 33 of our Covid-19 shelter in place days. As I pondered the idea to make a conscious effort to choose joy, something started happening. Joy actually began to shove discouragement aside and I started to feel happy! I pictured “Choose Joy!” painted on a river rock and placed on the ground at the entrance to our neighborhood park to encourage people as they walk by. And just like that, I was filled with joy as I planned out my next paining project.

Gloom started creeping back on Monday. But that night, joy broke in again. This time through a “random” playlist on my kitchen speakers. The drum beat and lyrics to Jeremy Camp’s “Only You Can” got me pumped up. Then the Latin flare of “Can’t Deny Your Love” by Unspoken” had me doing a conga up and down the dining room and kitchen. I hit repeat on these two songs for about 40 minutes. Now this is the kind of new normal I’d love to experience more of during Covid days.

This morning, I woke up at 6 a.m. to hang out with Jesus. I’ve been meditating on His words in John 15. “These things I have spoken to you that my JOY may be in you and that your JOY may be full (v.11, emphasis mine).” The phrase “these things” refers to (1) being pruned by Jesus to produce more fruit, (2) abiding in Jesus, and (3) being so connected to Jesus that we pray His rhema words, which He always answers, and (4) abiding in His love by keeping His commandments.

So John 15:11 means that no matter what circumstances look like around us, when we choose to hang out with Jesus, we’ll be filled to overflowing with HIS JOY! Now that’s something to be happy about!

Today, why not flip your mood by choosing joy?

#ChooseJoy

#covid19sip

#cultivatinglifelongfaith

#alwayshope

#abideinjesus