When I was growing into adulthood, I heard it many times that life is not a bed of roses, but deep inside of me, I was only imagining the good side of life. I didn't want to nurture anything that looks like the ups and downs of life or whatever challenges I saw people going through then.
There is this family close to my house that each time I visit them and see the hard times they are experiencing, I pray silently that when I grow to have families, I will only be eating big meat daily,lol. I didn't nurture such a hard life at all, but the truth is that today, that family has been elevated by God. That's to show you that there are phases in life, and while some phases linger and cause sadness, some come and go quickly. That's part of my experience in life so far, and sincerely, some circumstances of life make me sad.
A lot of times I feel so overwhelmed by the bad happenings. A lot of times my heart is so heavy, I feel stranded at some point, and I feel helpless. At times I feel to be like others; I think theirs is better. You wouldn't blame me; life has a way of putting us in tight corners sometimes, and we begin to imagine the unimaginable. At some point, I look up, down, and sideways, and I feel like the land should open and swallow me so I can rest from the troubles and stress of this life.
A lot of things had been dragging my joy, in fact the happenings in my country alone are a lot to make one sad, but despite all of these loads of life challenges around, there are still things currently bringing joy to my life.
One of the things is watching my boys grow and discover their unique talents and interests in life, then asking that I help them turn it into a reality. When I was that young, I can't remember discovering my interests in life, and thus what I am noticing in their lives recently is a dose of joy to my heart. Again, seeing them have compassion for others and some other certain good morals they display. At times when I feel frustrated, their kind words bring me joy, and I don't take it for granted.
Their curiosity and little display of creativity is something that baffles me, leaving some butterflies in my belly and, most importantly, forcing me to forget my adulthood challenges and worries. I remember kneeling down recently to thank God in a special way for the gift of my boys, and to be sincere, the joy I derive from watching them do certain things is unexplainable.
Personally, I am striving to ensure the negatives and bad vibes of life don't take away my happiness. Joy doesn't only happen when we achieve something we desire; it happens even in little things. Waking up to see that my health is sound gives me joy, especially seeing the terrible health challenges most people go through today, but one sensitive thing that started giving me the most joy recently is the hope I found in the scripture. Whenever I meditate on His promises, I feel joy with hope that those promises will one day be my reality. My faith and belief in God's abundance gives me joy because even in uncertainties, He is assured to always come through.
I may not have everything I need and desire now, but I always try to be grateful and keep hope alive, and that brings joy to me. Overall, seeing the bond and peace we have in my family is a load of joy already because we always are the shoulder for each other to lean on. That teamwork and sharing of our individual burdens at home make my heart giggle. 馃槉
Images are mine
