It’s Friday! And we are joining up with Kate for Five Minute Friday. She gives the word prompt and we all write, link-up here and share our words together. We would love to have you join us over here! Our word prompt today is: JOY
It was a typical Sunday morning. Nothing different from any other.
It had been an especially full week and I was looking forward to a day of normal packed in busyness of a fully scheduled Sunday morning.
Maybe the problem stemmed from not having my coffee yet but then why would not having coffee mess with my peripheral vision?
There was something zipping around off to the left and it was beginning to disturb my coffee routine.
“I’m sure it’s nothing,” I whisper in my inner thoughts…. ”yet it’s a little larger than a fruit fly… or any fly for that matter!”
With my coffee poured and the first sip taken I turn my head to see what is there.
There it is: A bee zipping around my kitchen.
But it’s not alone. There’s another… and another!
Where are these coming from?…The doors and windows have been closed up for days. In fact the temp is a chilly 30 degrees outside.
And that’s when it dawns on me… While tucked into bed last night I remembered the predicted drop in temperature and commandeered my hubby to move my favorite vine growing plant from the front porch to our living room… trellis and all…. Sleeping bees and all!
Matt, while sitting and eating his cereal, yells, “Mom, there’s a bee over here?”
“Yeah… I know… Leave it alone and it will leave you alone! Don’t swat at it or swing your arms! Just eat your breakfast.”
He begins counting out loud and it’s not his bites of cereal he’s counting!!!
I don’t have time for this!
“Leave the bees alone!” I holler back toward Matt as I head upstairs to get dressed.
It wasn’t long before another yell came from the stair landing below.
“Mom… Jon needs you!” Matt yells.
“Tell him to come up here!”
Matt yells back… “He say he needs you to come down here!”
Really?!?!?
I stand at the top while Jon comes to the bottom
“What!?!” I snap
Jon: “Ummm…. I need you to see something… down here!”
Reluctantly I descend and follow him to the family room.
And there it is…. Placed strategically near the shoes… DOG VOMIT
Yes, it’s a beautiful Sunday morning and the joy of the Lord fills my heart!!!
Bees swarming, vomit on the floor and now coffee dribbling down my front….
At moments like these, I have two choices:
- Yell, kick, and scream through the process. Clean up the mess with a slamming down of paper towels, snappy words and lots of emotion with added exaggerated hand gestures. (I may have previous experience in this area of expertise!) —OR—
- Take a deep breath, release it back out again and begin the process of cleaning up.
I have come to learn there are many incidents and situations that can irritate, annoy and steal my joy. I’ve also learned… through many times of acting the wrong way… that I feel more annoyed and irritated at myself afterwards for my actions and reactions then I was at the initial situation.
What feels good in the moment is not always the good that should be.
Our circumstances do not determine our joy.
“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are not sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” ~ Habakkuk 3: 17-18
If everything goes wrong around us…
- If the kids don’t behave and traffic is slow.
- If the boss is crabby and you’re in the crossfire.
- Whether you get your coffee… or don’t…Our source of joy stays the same.
God, our Source, is in control rather the rest of world falls in line with that or not. He still knows what He’s doing. He sees where we are and He walks with us in our days.
Whether our day goes our way or not, we choose.
We can lose our cool… or cool our temper and choose joy!
I like what Lysa TerKeurst says in her book Unglued, “If this is the worst thing that happens to me, it’s still a pretty good day!”
It’s not our circumstances that determine our joy but where we choose to place our focus.
“The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to tread on the heights.” ~ Habakkuk 3:19
Things may not go your way today. There may be bees swarming in your kitchen and vomit on your floor but no matter what happens, He is still the source of your joy. Choose joy, adjust your focus and let Him be your strength.
Happy Friday everyone! Have a great weekend!
Tripping Over Typeset 
Rachel,
I loved this post.
I so relate to this story. Especially the ” through many times of acting the wrong way… that I feel more annoyed and irritated at myself afterwards for my actions and reactions then I was at the initial situation”
That is such a repeated lesson over the years. I can’t believe how I continue to do it, but those emotions are very overwhelming. And after nearly 14 years of parenting, depending on The Spirit, I do see growth.
Thanks for sharing,
Cheers,
Leah
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There with you! We are all continually learning! Thanks for jumping in and sharing!
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I had a day similar to that this week. Sometimes it’s good to be reminded that who we are doesn’t shine best on our good days, but on our bad ones – and then to have the presence of mind to choose joy!
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Yes, It’s a battle some days and a life of constant choosing. I have found through continuing to choose joy, it gets easier because it forms our pathway response in our brains to keep choosing the right way. We form good habits with good responses! Thanks for jumping in and sharing! Happy Friday to you!
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Thank you for sharing. What an experience. Love your writing as you take us into your home, life experiences, ministry and your faith journey. May God continue to bless and use you.
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Thank you! Love ya!
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Good reminder, Rachel! Thanks.
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Thanks, AnnaLee! Happy Friday and weekend to you!
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So often I have chosen to lose my cool instead of choose joy. How I wish I could go back and do those moments differently. Knowing God’s grace covers them helps me move forward to choose joy.
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I’m there with you, friend! I have so many times I’ve blown it. That’s when I’m thankful for grace and moving forward to the next time when I strive to choose better! Thanks for jumping in and sharing! Happy Friday to you!
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Excellent reminder: thank you! (And it also made me laugh!)
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So glad! Thanks for stopping by and jumping in! Happy weekend to you!
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Oh my goodness, I just chuckled as I read your post! You know, some days are just meant to be like the “Family Circle” cartoons. It allows us to step back and pull it together and let God do something with it, so that we in turn can give a good testimony of His goodness provided…even when it started out not so good!lol
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Yes, I sometimes think I live in the “Family Circle” world! Too funny… thanks for jumping in! Have a great weekend!
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I think if asked to divide and conquer, I might take the bees vs. the vomit:). I think. Oy. such a choice . . .
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Heehee… Turned out my hubby, Dave, took care of the bees and I did the vomit! Thankfully the dog chose the location of the hardwood floor and not the rug which was a bright spot in the whole ordeal! Thanks for jumping in! Happy Weekend to you!
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I’m so thankful that he is the source of my joy. On those crazy days when everything seems to be going wrong, it can be so easy for that joy to be stolen away.
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Yes…. we choose and some days it’s harder than others! 🙂 Thanks for jumping in!
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Rachel,
oh! You are the greatest! I really enjoyed this post. And especially choosing joy and not allowing it to be stolen.
You’re journeying through “Trust” this year with OneWord365? That was my oneword last year. And mine this year is “Joy”. 😀 So, this was a fun FMF prompt.
Thank you for so much to think about in your post!!!
Love,
Tammy
(#5)
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Thanks, Tammy! Yes… trust is my word and wow! God is giving me a good makeover in that department! 🙂 Thanks for jumping in!
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by the way, she welcomes guest posts on the oneword365 blog. You should consider it! 🙂
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Thanks! I’ll look into that! 🙂
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Joy is a choice, isn’t it? I’m continually learning how to reach for joy in the midst of hard circumstances. Thank you for sharing such applicable lessons through your own life’s experiences.
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Thanks, Barbie!
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