Choose Joy: It's a Gift

View from flight to Phoenix

I recently attended a writers conference. It was the end of September and still 118 degrees in Phoenix. Hurricane Helene was hitting Florida, North Carolina, and Tennessee as we flew from North Idaho to Arizona. One of my favorite authors, Dani Pettrey, was giving the opening keynote address. I've read her inspiring and entertaining books for years and was so looking forward to meeting her. She flew in a day early because she was coming from Florida and knew she couldn't get out if she waited.

Dani spoke about joy in the journey of a writer (or life). She explained that happiness is a feeling, but that joy was a gift from God. We will all have highs and lows along our paths. Our career path, marriage and family path, personal health path. But what I took away from her beautiful address was that our journeys are our own. We can't control what happens to us, but we can control how we react. We can focus on the things that drag us down: discouragement, pain, comparison, a closed door, a missed opportunity. Or we can focus on the things that bring us joy. Focus on the relationships that build us up. Immerse ourselves in work that fulfills us and encourages others.

Photo by Unsplash

I know this sounds like a simplified reality but try this exercise. Set your timer for one minute. List everything that comes to mind that brings you joy. Don't qualify your answers, just write as quickly as you can. Done? You might've listed your spouse, the onset of fall's glorious colors, your children, grandkids, parents, coffee, chocolate, your job, the blue jay on your porch, your cuddly cat, enough in your budget to cover your bills, a fuzzy blanket, seat heaters in your car, or dinner on the table. Our lists will be varied and diverse depending on where we are in our journey. But one thing runs through them all and that is gratitude. Express gratitude for the things that bring you joy. You might surprise yourself when you see what you've written.

Back to Dani's keynote address. She got a call from her husband the morning after her arrival at the conference, pre keynote address. Their house, (that they'd just moved into three weeks prior) had taken a devastating hit from the storm and was flooded. They lost 95% of their belongings and two vehicles. After arriving back home and relocating to an Airbnb, her family had to evacuate for Milton. Through all of this, Dani hung on to the things that brought her joy. Rebuilding and replacing their belongings will entail a period of grief, hard work, roadblocks, and frustration. But at the conference, even knowing what she was going home to, Dani was encouraging, warm, kind, and hopeful. She uplifted us and blessed us with her message.

So, wherever you are today in your journey, I challenge you to find the joy. You might have to dig deep. Circumstances and stress can certainly overwhelm us. When you find the joy, be grateful. Give thanks. Share it. Don't give up. Because, as Dani shared, you will see the footprints of God in your journey when you pause to reflect where you've been and how you've gotten to where you are now.