Some
people say I don’t know how to enjoy life. Most of these people equate joy with
temporary pleasures like shopping, playing, dressing up, going to lavish
parties, eating, drinking, socializing, acquiring more and more luxury goods,
receiving attention and admiration from others, experiencing novel thrills,
traveling, etc.
I
just happen to enjoy (find joy) in a
slightly different manner. I find joy in whatever brings me peace,
satisfaction, and contentment. Chasing after temporary pleasures rarely brings
me joy, but sometimes it can make me momentarily happy. Things that delight me: the sight of my husband, my son’s
smile, deep, authentic conversations, a well-constructed, clever sentence, new
birds on the front-porch feeders, a new pair of shoes, any fruit or vegetable
that grows in my yard. Yet, the happiness I feel is quickly displaced by the
next disconcerting circumstance that comes my way: the sight of my husband’s
tired eyes, my son’s frustration, fake small-talk, books that fizzle out halfway
through, bird poop on my front porch, sore feet from new shoes, and pests on my
fruit trees.
I
have read that the difference between joy and happiness is as follows:
happiness is circumstantial and thus fleeting; joy is a settled contentment
that is independent of the state of affairs in one’s life.
“Joy
is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life,
the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright, and the
determined choice to praise God in every situation.” (Kay Warren)
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