A Heart Full of Joy, Peace & Love
As November is winding down and December rapidly approaches, I want to wish you great joy, peace and love this holiday season. In my last post about gratitude, I shared a quote about gratitude being a key component of joy. I hope you have been able to find reasons to be thankful and grateful for everything (or at least most things) in your life. A heart filled with love and gratitude will bring you added gifts of peace and joy. I believe these are the gifts we truly need but they aren’t available in any store and aren’t easy to wrap and place under a tree or in a stocking. The good news is that they also won’t put you into debt like all the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals!
Last weekend, my husband and I went to the Christmas Cave in Minford, Ohio with some dear friends and it was a beautiful experience. I am sharing a few of my favorite photos from the cave to illustrate this article. The cave contains numerous scenes from the biblical account of Jesus’ arrival in Bethlehem, which is what many people around the world celebrate this time of year. If this story isn’t part of your tradition or worldview, I would love to hear about what brings you joy and how you celebrate the holidays(as we know there are many other holidays coming up in addition to Christmas). Please share in the comments below.
I will share a few verses and thoughts that touched me as I walked through the Christmas story. The angel told some humble shepherds, “‘Fear not, for lo, I bring you good news of great joy, that shall be to all the people --because there was born to you today a Saviour -- who is Christ the Lord -- in the city of David, and this is to you the sign: Ye shall find a babe wrapped up, lying in the manger.’ And suddenly there came with the messenger a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, `Glory in the highest to God, and upon earth peace, among men -- good will.'“ Luke 2: 10-14. Can you imagine angels showing up to your work and gifting you with great joy and world peace? They said it was for “all the people” so that includes all of us and all of “them”(whoever “them”represents to you)! If we aren’t feeling the joy and peace, maybe we have allowed fear, hatred and anger towards “them” to take up residence in our hearts. Maybe it’s time to serve an eviction notice to these unwelcome guests and make room in our hearts for the love, joy and peace that is a free gift for “all the people.”
The magi or kings saw “the star, that they did see in the east, did go before them, till, having come, it stood over where the child was. And having seen the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.” Matthew 2:9-10 That same child grew up and taught his followers: “According as the Father did love me, I also loved you, remain in my love; if my commandments ye may keep, ye shall remain in my love, according as I the commands of my Father have kept, and do remain in His love; these things I have spoken to you, that my joy in you may remain, and your joy may be full. This is my command, that ye love one another, according as I did love you.” John 15:9-12
If you are grieving right now and have a hard time feeling joy, Jesus said: “You will be grieved, but your grief will become joy. The woman has grief when she gives-birth, because her hour came. But when she bears the child, she no longer remembers the affliction because of the joy that a person was born into the world. You then also now have grief— but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice. And no one is going to take away your joy from you. And in that day you will not question Me as to anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father anything in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you did not ask anything in My name. Be asking and you will receive, in order that your joy may be full.” John 16:20-24 We see many things around us that grieve our hearts, but we can find the joy if we look for it in the love we have for each other that helps us through the difficult times. May love, joy and peace fill your heart today and every day, my friend.