JOY!

I am not sure if there is something in the cold air blowing across the lake or just a part of a life with girls growing up, but just ... sometimes.

Sometimes we all can be just a little NOT so nice. We find a way to needle our sibling with just a comment. We find a way to show our feelings with a glaring sneer or roll of the eyes. We find a way to express our dissatisfaction with a little more attitude in our talk. We find a way to not respond with silence. We find a way to just be ... bad.

It was during one of these moments that I was struck by a song that I had learned as a young girl, when I was about the age of Nicole, our oldest daughter. I am not sure of the title but the first line in the song is "Jesus, Others, and You, what a wonderful way to spell JOY." I had to remind the girls that joy did not mean happiness.It meant something much deeper. It was a contentment and a commitment to place Jesus first in their lives, others second, and themselves last. Spell the letters backwards and it means nothing. While the word is short, this is not a minor task. Sometimes the smallest things, like this word, can be the hardest thing for us to do.

Since we are soon entering the season of Advent, this thought moved me more. There will be a number of Christmas melodies streaming across the airways carrying this little word in its melody. Maybe keeping the spelling of this little word in mind will bring about just a lot more JOY in the season!