Joy: Five Minute Friday

Another week, another chance to write on a one-word prompt for only five minutes. We set timers, type quickly, and let it flow without criticism. Then, we link-up our posts so we can read others' posts and they read ours and we have a community that grows from one word each week.
Five Minute Friday.

Go!

This week's word is "Joy". What a fun word! Truly, it's pretty difficult to say "joy" in the English language without the corners of your mouth turning up. And, it happens to be my OneWord365 for the year. Joy, however, is not equal to happiness. In our language, we always equate happiness with joy, but sometimes joy is a choice. I am resolving to make the choice of joy, so I combine those three words and get re-jo-ice.

There are lots of verses encouraging us to rejoice in everything. I think it comes down to that deep, deep, non-temporary part of us.
I've finally figured out that joy is as simple as counting backwards from five.

"Will this matter in...
5 hours
4 days
3 weeks
2 months
1 year?"

And, if it's a temporary upset or annoyance that will have no bearing in the long-term, I can choose to let it pass. I must take a deep breath and relax. I will not let Satan steal my joy.

This summer a movie called "Inside Out" was released. It's a children's film all about the struggle for control inside the mind of an 11 year old girl. She has five main emotions, and Joy is at the head of the control. She's joined by Sadness, Fear, Disgust and Anger.

So during school spirit week, I dressed up as "Joy".

We were supposed to dress as superheros.
I explained to the students that the power to bring Joy is very important and a supernatural gift.

What brings you joy? For me, it's causing others to smile and laugh. To solve problems. To bring peace. To encourage somebody that's weary. To build others up.

The best part about bringing joy to others is that it gets your focus off of those non-joyful temporary circumstances (or permanent ones) for the moment, so you can focus on what really matters. Eternity. Will people be drawn to Jesus because they met you?

² Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. ³ For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. ⁴ So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. (James 1:2-4) (NLT)

"For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!" (2 Corinthians 4:17) (NLT)

Choose joy, my friends. We may be tired, or weary, or weepy for no reason, but those are not our truest truths. Our bodies are temporary and dying, but our spirits are eternal. Let the Joy of the Lord lift us up like it did for Nehemiah and the Israelites rebuilding the temple. It is in His Strength and Power that we can shine with joy when we're facing the bleakest moments of our lives.

~Tammy

P.S. Please tell me your url or linkup number at Kate's blog this week so I can find your post too! :)