Joy

The Lord is bringing me through the Fruits of the Spirits..Its pretty fun for Him and I.  The first one He started with is Joy.

What is real Joy?  What does it mean to be joyful?
In the dictionary joy means: 1. Intense and especially ecstatic or exultant happiness, 2. The expression or manifestation of such feeling.
What does that look like for the broken world to see all believers be joyful?

I didn't really "get" how to be joyful, even in the mess and dark or life...

I was watching the Duggers reality show, the mom was pregnant.  They were all so excited about the new little one joining their family.  They all chose a name together as a family, they grew closer through the process of coming together and being joyful about the new addition to the family.
Mom was getting to find out the sex of the baby at the next appointment.  Mom and Dad got to the doctors office, while all the other kids were so pumped and anxiously waiting to know the sex of the new baby.

Mom and Dad get to the doctors office, the ultrasound tech was all ready...Mom and Dad were all smiles, the ultrasound tech had the panic look on her face, then the words no parent wants to hear are "there is not heartbeat."

My heart sunk....

The change in their faces was too hard to watch, the pain you feel with them, even though you don't "know" them, you are weeping with them.

Mom simply said with so much love, peace and mercy.."the Lord Giveth and the Lord Taketh away...Blessed be the name of the Lord."

I was BLOWN away...

Then Mom asked Dad to pray....They both prayed with such heartache, confusion, pain but most importantly, JOY.

She said "I am joyful I was able to hold her in my belly for the amount of time i did, she brought so much joy already into our family"

WOW...I was thinking the whole time (as she was speaking truth, love and joy to America) I don't think I would handle this the way she did, I was almost mad for her....

What a good example she displayed, so much grace and love.  So much Joy she showed the world.

Everyone has their story, their pain, their joy but how do we handle it in the moment.  Are we joyful? Do we trust in?  Do we walk around covered in our mess so everyone can see our pity party?

I know I want to be FULL OF JOY, like Mrs. Dugger.


Lord fill us with joy, teach us how to be joyful, teach us how to love with joy...