“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” [1 Thessalonians 5:16-18]
Joy is what we feel when we know we are loved unconditionally and infinitely by the God of the universe. Being happy is not the same as being joyful… sadness, disappointment, brokenness, and joy can coexist. Joy is what fills us when we know that nothing - absolutely NOTHING - can take away or separate us from the love of the Lord… and as we become more aware of this love, we allow our hearts to become more joyful and a source of joy for others.
“My friend’s joy is contagious. The more I am with him, the more I catch glimpses of the sun shining through the clouds. Yes, I know there is a sun, even though the skies are covered with clouds. While my friend always spoke about the sun, I kept speaking about the clouds, until one day I realized that it was the sun that allowed me to see the clouds.” -Henri Nouwen, Here and Now
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