A couple of nights ago, I reread this blog post.
Again I began to think about the promises of joy in my patriarchal blessing.
I pondered my life right now and wondered if anyone on the outside looking in would think that joy and happiness was reigning supreme.
Even I wondered if it was true.
More importantly, I wondered how it could be true.
Once again I asked Heavenly Father to help me understand.
In her talk today, my newly returned missionary niece read this quote
from the talk I have read a thousand times:
"My dear brothers and sisters, the joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives.
When
the focus of our lives is on God’s plan of salvation and Jesus Christ and His gospel, we can
feel joy regardless of what is happening—or not happening—in our lives.
Joy comes from and because of Him. He is the source of all joy. We feel
it at Christmastime when we sing, “Joy to the world, the Lord is come.”9 And we can feel it all year round. For Latter-day Saints, Jesus Christ is joy!"
In that moment, the spirit bore witness in a powerful way that the reason that joy and happiness can be supreme in my life is because I love, follow, worship, and live for Jesus.
I do.
It's that simple.
Once again, it just goes back to this:
Jesus first. Period. The end.
He is pure joy.
Thank you Meghan for that powerful teaching moment.
Shabbat Shalom.
