Give Joy.

I looked around as I sat watching Aubrey’s soccer practice today. There was clover everywhere. My inner child came out.

I spent almost an hour looking and looking for a four leaf clover because, you know, they are supposed to be good luck.

In all that clover, I couldn’t find one anywhere.

It hit me. Finding a four leaf clover can be kind of like finding your joy.

Sometimes, the “luck” is in your favor and they will be all around you. You will find three or four in one quick time of searching.

Then, other times, you can search and search, and search some more, but always come up short. You just can’t find that precious four leaf clover anywhere no matter how hard you try.

It’s the same with joy.

Sometimes everything is going your way and it is so easy to smile because you are scoring goals whenever you take a shot. Life is good and all you can see are the rainbows around you.

That is the easy kind of joy. That is joy that comes from your circumstances and excitement. In these times, it is easy to praise and rejoice and tell everyone about the goodness of God. That kind of joy is the type I wish and pray for everyone to have. If you have that joy, it means you aren’t having to experience hardship and pain.

The other is the hard kind of joy. Hard joy is what comes to you because you make a commitment to have it. It means that even though you can’t find a single four leaf clover in miles and miles of searching, you refuse to let it ruin your day or define you.

Finding joy in the hard times sometimes means falling to your knees and crying out to God, “and if not, You are still good.” And finding a way to tell your soul and mind to believe it. It means that even though you feel the rain pouring all around, you vow to witness the rainbow that has to be coming.

Finding joy in times like this is hard and may even feel impossible.

It is hard, I can assure you of that. But, it is possible.

I never did find a four leaf clover today.

The one in this picture, I made it. I took two clovers and put them together. Sometimes you have to make your own “good luck” just like you have to make, and choose, your own joy.

Choose joy.

Be joy.

Give joy.

“May the God of hope fill you all with joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

#waytobattlebrady#bravelikebrady#leukemiawarrior#joychallenge#dayfive

We have some special drop offs planned for day 5 of our joy challenge. How are you choosing and giving joy today?