Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Joy is Contagious!



"Therefore my heart is glad and my glory [my inner self] rejoices; my body too shall rest and confidently dwell in safety." -Psalm 16:9, Amplified Bible



I've noticed something over the last few months. My home has become a very, very joy-filled place. Since my outlook on life has changed and my attitude has changed, I've noticed a shift in the attitudes of those around me. My husband is happier and more involved in our relationship. My kids are loving every minute of their lives here at home; they're even happy to do their chores because they can see that when Mom's cleaning the house, she does it with JOY! (Yes, I am joyful when I clean my house. I'm finally taking pride in myself and my abilities as a wife and mother... and I'm loving every minute of taking care of business instead of sitting on the couch all day with a bucket of ice cream in my lap!) We even have more time to spend together as a family, because we are MAKING time for fun. Here's a picture of the kids hanging out with me on a Monday night. My oldest is popping corn in the microwave, and the youngest is helping us all choose a movie to watch. J-O-Y in action - right here:



I have come to a place in my life where I can truly - with one hundred percent honesty - say that I am happy. I love everything about my life. I even love the trials, because I've come to the realization that there are lessons to be learned from every adverse experience I have. I know. To some of you, this sounds like B.S. motivational speaking at its best. I promise you, this is now my reality. I no longer allow circumstances to control me. I go with the flow and remember that if I am capable of recovering from the trauma of childhood sexual abuse and rape and every other horrible thing I've been through, I am capable of handling every bit of drama and trauma that comes my way.

You know, I could sit here for hours on end and tell you stories of the horrible things I have seen, heard, and done. Some of you would identify with my life, some of you would not. Some of you may think what I've been through is nothing compared to your own story - and you might be correct about that. But there's one thing I know for certain: dwelling on the past has gotten me nowhere. Moving forward is the only thing that has ever made a difference in my life. If you want to hear my story, I will gladly share it with you. But now when I share, I share with the knowledge that I have overcome the circumstances that were forced upon me. I share with the assurance and the peace of knowing that I am no longer living in defeat. I'm living in joy. And I hope that when I do share my story, you will see that joy after trauma is an attainable goal, and that you'll catch a glimpse of the strength and the beauty and the joyful heart of a survivor - a thriver - and that you'll want it for yourself.

I set out on a journey to be joyful, and it brought joy to the people around me. It renewed my faith, it restored relationships and it reminded me that (even though sometimes I may struggle to see it) there is always beauty in my life. What will living joyfully do for you? Take the journey and find out!

6 comments:

Just Be Real said...

This is my hearts desire as well. To be filled with so much joy of the Lord!

Megan said...

Even though the program I went through is not faith-based, I approached it with a heart for the Lord (you can read about the process in the other entries if you're curious)... and He blessed me so much! I'll keep you in my prayers. Joy is a beautiful thing. I never thought I'd know what it mean to have the joy of the Lord. I always tried, but I never truly got it. Well, now I do. =) Thanks for reading and for commenting. May the Lord bless you and keep you!

Tracie Nall said...

I love this...and I love you!

Moving out of living in trauma to living in JOY. So powerful! So amazing! I love how you have noticed that as you started seeking out the joyful moments, everyone in your family did as well. The way we feel, if we take care of ourselves or not, really does affect everyone around us.

Marj aka Thriver said...

Thank you so much for joining us for this wonderful edition of THE BLOG CARNIVAL AGAINST CHILD ABUSE. Since I founded and maintain this carnival (it travels around from blog to blog each month), there is always info at my blog about it. Who knows? Maybe you'll even want to host some month. ;) I'm so glad you are thriving with joy.

Patricia Singleton said...

Joy makes all of the garbage I have gone through worth going through to get where I am today. Yes, attitude is important and when we change, the people around us change. Thanks for sharing this with the Blog Carnival Against Child Abuse.

Paula said...

Joy in abundance! Never thought this possible. Yet since I work with my inner kids and co pearent them as well as let them speak up, life became simply great. Thanks for sharing!

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