Choosing Joy

Grief has been a teacher of mine for going on 11 years now.  I've lost my parents and several other close family members in the past 11 years; I've been thinking recently about the things that grief has taught me. I encourage you to take even just one thing from this list and apply it to your life, whether or not you've dealt with losing a loved one.

 1. Never take anyone in your life for granted. Don't let the frequency at which statements like this are said take away the significance. It's just so true and can't be emphasized enough. 

2. Don't expect a future opportunity to tell someone how you feel. Say "I love you" any chance you get.  

3. Rid yourself of distractions to truly embrace and enjoy each second of quality time that you're blessed to spend with someone. Put your phone down; turn off the TV; enjoy the old fashioned version of face-time, etc.

4.  You’ll never stop grieving..and that’s okay. And some people will never understand that (nor should you expect them to).

5. You’re a lot stronger than you think. And when you're not feeling strong, that's why God gave you friends and family. 

6. Carrying on a legacy allows others to learn about your loved one even if they never got to meet. Carry it wisely; carry it confidently.

7. It's all about keeping your perspective in check. You can waste time with wishful, unrealistic thinking or you can spend time being thankful. A grateful heart is going to bring a lot more contentment to your life.  It's impossible to be thankful and bitter at the same time!

8. You can use your situation to truly empathize and be there for others when they go through similar situations. And in the end you’ll find that it helps you, too. 

9. You find out who your friends are...but with that being said, you also find that family goes WAY beyond people with similar genes. 

10. Life is short.  Seriously.  Carpe diem!

I remind myself constantly that some people never even have the chance to meet their parents, let alone be raised by them in a loving home.   I'm truly blessed!  I have a lot for which to be joyfully thankful. 

Jubilance. That's what I want to be about.  Choosing joy is easy when you're happy and life is going the way that you want it to. I'm striving to be a person that chooses JOY every single day, in the midst of mundane activities as well as in the midst of trials and hardships.  It's not about being happy all the time.  It's about remembering Who holds tomorrow; it's about remembering that because Jesus died for us, we can have JOY throughout all circumstances.  We just have to choose it.