I wanted to start talking about joy this morning on my blog, so I did a little Google search and found this diagram of “the wheel of life” online at http://www.lessons4living.com.

In life, we are going to experience times of happiness, times of loss, times of suffering, and times of hoping…………Hope is actually what moves us from suffering to happiness many times.

The hope of Heaven

The hope of healing

The hope of a new day filled with new promises

But in the center of everything that we experience is a point of peace, a point of meeting and knowing God and understanding that EVERYTHING we say and do revolves around Him.

When we learn to turn towards this center and focus on Him, then we will experience perfect love as well as carry with us an abiding faith and a bubbling joy.

God longs for us to have this kind of joy.

I found another website talked about the fact that “happiness” generally comes from things outside of us while “joy” seems to be something that comes from deep within us.

I don’t know about you, but I have spent a lot of years of my life searching for happiness. Honestly, I still battle the need to feel “happy” when it comes to my job, my kids, and my marriage. Deep inside I think we all like to feel happy.

BUT SOMETIMES WE FIND OURSELVES IN A DARK PLACE FAR AWAY FROM HAPPINESS…

Then what?

Where do we turn?

I believe we constantly have to turn to God, the center of the wheel of life, as we journey through the dark and light places.

In this center, this intersection of every aspect of our lives, we find Him and in finding Him we experience joy and peace…NO MATTER WHAT.

Psalm 16:11 says,

You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Today, you will probably experience momentary happiness from time to time. Someone will say something kind to you. A child will make you laugh. You will receive an email or Facebook post that causes you to smile. But, along the way, you may sense a feeling of “longing for happiness” when people choose not to say kind words or your inbox is full of junk mail or your job brings stress and you need a break.

It is in those moments of “longing for happiness” that joy steps up and says, “Look to the center! Look to God! He’s still there turning the wheel……and in His presence there is always ME…JOY!”

I’m turning to the center today.

Every time a student chooses not to listen while I’m talking, I’m turning to the center.

Every time I feel tired and wish I could be home on this rainy day, I’m turning to the center.

Every time I think about the fact that this weekend I will be speaking at a women’s retreat and I don’t feel quite ready, I’m turning to the center.

Every time Nick flashes through my mind and I feel sad, I’m turning to the center.

Every time I remember that in only eight days Evan moves to California, I’m turning to the center.

I’m praying that you can turn to the center too.

God is there!

Where faith, love, and joy abound, you will find God……in the center of it all!

Have a happy Tuesday.

God bless all of my blogging friends,