Joy Let Loose

The world is changing quickly.

Many of us feel as though our heads are spinning and we are completely out of control. We couldn’t predict that we’d be desperate to persist with JOY in 2020. When the calendar turned for me into this new decade, I discovered that my words for this year were going to be imagine and persist. But I didn’t know how challenging those would prove to be so quickly.

Then…

Just one month ago I boarded my second cruise ship for the month, helping my husband with his job. These fan cruises for NFL team fans were the culmination of sooo much prayer and hard work. Our whole family was there, and we were so excited to be volunteering together on a worthwhile adventure where we were seeing people be introduced to Jesus on the high seas.

Now…

Fast forward one month: there is a global pandemic, basically everything is shut down, my husband has lost the job he loved so much and was so effective in, and we can’t even leave our house while we are seeking wisdom from the Lord what to do next. And as ministers for Jesus, we are preparing for the inevitable onslaught of pastoral care on the near horizon, while helping people begin to navigate their current reality of isolation.

Wow! How did that happen? And how do we figure out how to persist with JOY even now?

I am so grateful that joyfulness is dependent on the constancy of a Person, not the comfort of a circumstance. I’ve learned this to be true – Hallelujah! But the reality is that we each need to put one foot in front of the other each day to persist with joy, right? We need to make tangible action towards joyful living. Here are 5 simple things we can do even now.

What Can We do to Persist With Joy?

• Practice Gratitude. This is something I talk about a lot. But sometimes it’s easier than others, isn’t it? Maybe you can start here at Joy Let Loose…put something in the comments that you are grateful for today!
• Stay connected. The kind of season we find ourselves in right now can cause us to self-protect and isolate. But isolation is a joy-killer, and community brings life. Maybe right now isn’t the time for get togethers and parties, but we live in such an opportune time to be creative with our connections as we persist with joy.
• Steal away for quiet time. It’s important to nourish our faith and quiet our souls. We were made to sometimes be still and know the God is GOD. Want some help knowing what to do in that quiet time? Start here:

Remember…

• Remember your wellness is holistic. Those who know me know I believe we are beautifully and intricately made, and that our mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual wellness are all intertwined, and impact each other. Gut health impacts mental wellness, spiritual wellness impacts sleep, emotional health impacts digestion, skin, and energy etc. We are wonderfully complex beings! One of the ways that I persist with joy even now is to take that seriously, and to focus on my wellness holistically.
• Learn something new. What better time than when we are sheltering in place to learn a new skill? Or start a new hobby? Or discover some way to grow and improve ourselves? Whether that’s a new recipe, an online art or music lesson, or a leadership development podcast, now is the perfect time to re-focus and grow. Let’s be creative and try something different so we become more of who we are made to be (instead of wasting away the day with a couch and Netflix.) I’m working on developing my leaders team with my Young Living business..and the Zoom calls, Marco chats, and business development activities are filling me up! (I’m also trying my hand at a few new recipes as I persist with joy…I don’t love to cook, but I need to eat!) Share in the comments below something new you are going to try in April!

So Persist With Joy

So be truly glad. There is wonderful JOY ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. (1 Peter 1:6-7)

Elizabeth Joy