Okay, so this week has literally been one of the busiest weeks of my life, with tests and classes and projects and so many different organizations vying for any spare time I might find myself with. Needless to say, your girl is OVERWHELMED. While it’s so easy to let all of these things push us to the point where we’re sleep deprived, drowning in calculus problems and chemistry labs, (yes I know writing this doesn’t help me study any of those things) there’s just something I’m learning over again, and needed to share.
The other day, I was driving to pick up a friend, and as I was coming up 6th street I saw the lights on the railroad track start flashing. I immediately knew I was going to be late for EVERYTHING. If you know me at all, you know I usually show up right when I have to and not a moment earlier. This was definitely going to push my “carefully timed” schedule back a bit. As the blockades came down, the car in front of me stopped and parked. The couple inside turned up their music, got out of the car, and started dancing together. They looked to be about fifties or sixties, and they didn’t seem to have a single care in the world. The red lights lit them up just enough for me to see their giant smiles as they twirled and enjoyed each other’s company. At a time when I am usually the most annoyed – shoutout to all the Prosper people forever waiting on the train – this sweet couple chose to use this extra time to be joyful and embrace the time together. I don’t know why it hit me so hard then, but I immediately thought about the last time I just stopped and enjoyed the moment when things didn’t go as planned, and it was harder than I’d care to admit.
I sat there and watched them dance, allowing their joy to wash over me, and part of me really wanted to thank them for allowing me to witness the sweetest moment ever! I know, I need to pull it together, but it seriously y’all. This made my whole week! How often is our default attitude to be negative or put out? We wake up in the morning, automatically dwelling on negative thoughts. I know at least for me, my first words when I wake up are usually complaints about how early it is, how tired I am, or how I really just don’t feel like going to a lecture first thing in the morning. But how many times does the Lord tell us to REJOICE and BE GLAD? A lot.
The word “joy” actually appears in the Bible 155 times, according to the NIV translation. 155 TIMES!!!!! Y’all, this is part of the fruit our Lord wants us to be inundated with and radiating from our every action and word. Joy is definitely a choice; I challenge you, along with myself, to choose it day in and day out, just as the sweet couple chose it instead of complaining or tapping their watch at the railroad. It’ll take time, it’ll take active reminders and correction from the Spirit, but just think of how different our weeks might look if we daily make the choice to have joy!
Madelyn. 