I have always done Christmas cards and I didn’t want our change in life circumstances to delete one of my favorite traditions. As I was trying to design my card I quickly found that many of the captions made me feel like the phrase attached with my picture didn’t really say the truth of how this year has gone and what I was feeling. In the past I just put what I thought was cute with the card to match our picture with not much thought around the meaning of what I was saying. Now because I found his work phone on Christmas morning the generic phrases of Christmas wishes were more triggering than anything.
Then I came across JOY and did some research. I remembered being taught in a religious class as a teenager the acronym can stand for JESUS, OTHERS, YOU! It was in reference to remind us what to think about during the Christmas season.
I also found a quote by Pastor Rick Warren that says exactly how I feel and believe that, “Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright, and the determined choice to praise God in every situation.”
No doubt there is opposition in all things and as I reflect this time last year and the dark sadness and heartache I am so thankful for the happy and good days where there is pure JOY. I have also never felt such mixed emotions in my life where I have so much gratitude, feel so thankful, better and happy. I feel so loved and have never been closer to my Savior before yet there is sorrow and heartache with confusion as I reflect on my new found truths for years of my life. I am able to navigate these feelings because of the JOY I do feel, knowing God is my creator and knows me best. He knows my kids better than me as even their mom and I pray every day to be in tune what their needs are. So this year I can proudly put on my Christmas card JOY because I genuinely feel it!! Happiness can’t exist in darkness and difficulty but JOY can.
May we seek to understand our worth through the Saviors eyes this season so we can experience and understand JOY and carry it with us at all times…even in the darkest times. Because with God all things are possible.