Joy in the Journey

A few days ago I celebrated an anniversary. On November 1, 2006 I started to faithfully keep a "Joy Journal". I had just had a crazy month before that. I was in charge of Pastor Appreciation Month (October) and when it finally was over I was stressed out. My husband had commented to me that I had been lacking joy. A friend of mine had given me a gratitude journal but I didn't plan to start it until January because it had dated pages to write on each day.

Well after hearing the assessment from my husband, I knew that God was calling me to start the journal right away instead of waiting to the new year. So each evening before bed, as I checked my blood pressure, I would write a few sentences about what had brought me joy that day. As I was faithful with filling it out each day, I realized that I was starting to have a more joyful heart and attitude.

As I wrote my last entry on October 31st I observed that a year had passed by already. I only had missed seven days throughout the year when I did not get a chance to write. I realize that God has changed my heart a lot this past year.

I find myself humming and singing praise songs much more frequently. I hadn't even thought much about it until this past Monday after I had gone for my first mammogram and I stopped off at a retail store before heading home. As I locked the car door I saw somebody give me an odd look. I then realized that I had been singing a hymn. It reminds me of Luke 6:45 which says, "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks."

I encourage you if you have never done this before, to give it a try. You can use an ordinary notebook and just write a few sentences at the end of each day. You will be surprised at how much God will start working in your heart. You also will find that you have a lot of things to be thankful for and that bring you joy!