JOY -- A Five Minute Friday Post

I finally made it back to the party and while I didn't write last night, it was so good to jump in and connect with the tribe! This morning, we woke up to a Winter Wonderland and sipped on coffee as Christmas music played softly in the background while sitting side by side silently doing our own reading routine... ah yes... and this brings us to our One Word Prompt today...

This is Five Minute Friday (- a five minute timed free write) and our One Word Prompt is: JOY

{GO}

Joy... I know it's all "Tis the Season" and Christmasy and all of that but sometimes, especially in this season, Joy can feel a bit elusive, right?

I mean... we can forget that Joy is available all year round and suddenly, here we are as another trip around the sun is winding down and we look back and we look ahead and we forget to choose Joy!  

We forget that we even have that choice in front of us. 

Instead we accidentally give in to the heaviness and the darkness surrounding and pressing in close and our thoughts wander to the edges of the unknown and convince us of the feelings of abandonment or at least of our own aloneness.

BUT God... But Joy... Unspeakable and full of glory...
We can choose this... 

I believe Jesus is waiting with baited breath for us to simply accept this gift and unwrap it and put it on!

We know the Truth... that God is always for us... always with us... and Joy is a choice we can make at the dawning of each new day. It's not always an easy one... sometimes we must contend and fight for it... but when we turn our eyes to Him, we find Him holding out Joy as a gift and begging us to wrap ourselves in it!

I was honored to be hanging out over at Incourage this week, talking a bit about the JOY that comes from creating new traditions when it's time to let some of the old ones go.  

We are empty nesters... no longer transitioning in to that title, but fully embracing it and living it out. 

As I tap this out on keys, my Honey is out (again) shoveling snow... He is bundled up and working hard and this is just one more visible way that he serves.  He is taking care of the neighborhood this morning... making a way where there seems to be no way, if you will... and it brings me ridiculous joy --watching him live out this life by my side.  

It's always been us... before, during, and after the full house years... it's always been us --loving each other and then letting love and joy spill out to whoever is on our path!

***

Our first big snow storm and while my Mama was texting and wanting to know that we and our girlie were all home safe and sound --trying to put her fears to sleep before she went to bed, I realized, once again, that fear no longer has his way with me.  

I didn't even think to worry until she texted me, worrying!  I am not immune, of course.  But I no longer give in to him or believe his lies as quickly or easily as before.  

I have come to realize --again and again, that this girlie of mine? She has been His all along, and He is way more able and willing to keep her safe and bring her home. I have come to trust that --even when 'home' is no longer my address.

For we are all wanderers, right? Sojourning on our way back Home... and whether it is the blinding white of freshly fallen snow, or the cold bitter darkness of night... Joy is inside of us, wrapping Himself around us, bidding us to serve and to love and to give in this season --not out of our lack but out of His abundance!  

He is asking us to come out and play!

He is singing over us songs of joy and songs of love and He is lighting our way back Home. 

And the best path to travel along is the one we stumble onto when we remember to CHOOSE JOY!

{STOP}

This one felt a little random, but I trust that He was leading me to where He wanted me to go.  Choosing Joy can seem impossible when the darkness closes in and everything feels heavy... but it's HIS Joy... not something we have to muster up ourselves, and it's a gift that He has already given. We simply accept it, and put it on!

May you find and feel Joy unspeakable and full of glory wrap around you in this season like a warm blanket and a lovely surprise! 

Linking up with Kate Motaung and the #fmfparty Community today.  Five Minute Fridays gives us the chance to dive right in and share what He puts on our hearts! Click HERE to read what others have to say about: "JOY"

The FMF lowdown: The gathering happens on Twitter on Thursday nights & then we write our hearts out & hit publish all over the interwebs on Thursday & Friday (& sometimes on Tuesdays!) It's where we encourage & uplift... where we share prayer requests & praise reports... where we talk food & friends & we find support & kindred hearts. It's where we are reminded that life is good & God is good & we're not alone... & then we all write for five minutes flat, a flash mob of wordsmiths letting our hearts & our fingers do the talking tapping & we hit publish before we can second guess it all away. We'd love to have you join us!

I'm also linking up with the lovely writer community linked below:

#FreshMarketFriday...