As I sit and have my cup of coffee with Jesus, I was thinking about another one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, JOY! I think that here is a difference between happiness and JOY. We can be going through very difficult times in our lives and still feel moments of JOY. That is when we experience the JOY that Jesus is our Lord and know that there is nothing to worry about.

I’m re-reading a book by Henry Nouwen, and in it he states that the greatest gift we can give anyone is our own personal inner JOY, peace, silence, solitude, and well-being. We may want to do things for people, or sometimes feel that we’re taking on other people’s problems and issues (otherwise known as codependency), but that does not really help them. What people need to experience is the inner peace, JOY, and the positive energy that flows from a person who knows the Lord.

Today, I am going to focus on JOY! Everything may not be perfect in my life, but I do feel God’s presence deep within my heart, and that brings JOY. That is the greatest gift I can share today!

Have a blessed, joy-filled day.