My 7-year-old, Parker, has been writing stories lately. These stories are always wildly imaginative. Her latest story is entitled, “The Zoo is the Greatest Place on Earth.” The zoo in her story is not just any ‘ol zoo. Oh, no, it features special animals like polka dotted polar bears and pink penguins. Who wouldn’t love to visit a zoo like that?
My girl is a natural storyteller. When she shares her stories with me, great joy can be seen in her eyes, and heard in her voice.
Her joy of telling a story got me thinking about my 2013 One Word: Joy. We all seems to be quick to move on these days. We’re busy, busy, busy. We move on to the next big thing, leaving little, or no time for reflection.
It’s important that we “stop and smell the roses” on occasion if we truly want to understand where we’ve been, how far we have come, and to see the road ahead more clearly.
2013 Joy | I think focusing on the word joy for 2013 made me stop and look for it intentionally. Having joy takes effort. It’s a choice we make. And, I chose joy (most of the time).
I took time to do things that brought me joy, of course, but I also took the time to look for joy in the little things around me everyday. Surprisingly, it wasn’t that hard to find. See, looking for it does work!
I found Joy in glorious sunrises out my back door. Joy in nature. Joy in autumn smells, color and weather. Joy in His word, usually when I wasn’t looking for it. Funny how that worked. Joy in my children’s’ laughter. Joy in watching the girls grow into the young ladies they are becoming. Joy in the mess of craft days. Oh, yes, there is joy in glitter, everywhere. Joy in photography, and trips to the mountains. You get the idea…
So, before you rush into 2014, take a moment to reflect on the last 365 days you’ve lived. That is a lot of days. Were they well spent? Did you use them to your advantage? Did you accomplish what you wanted in 2013; where did you fall short? How have you grown personally, professionally, or spiritually?
Before we can see where we’re going, we need to know where we’ve been.
Have Faith Everyday 