All last week people were talking about the Monarch Butterflies migrating. I didn’t see one. Nope, not one. At first, I told myself that the people who were posting pictures on Facebook lived further north and little more west. Then co-workers mentioned them, and I still hadn’t seen one. My local news reported on them and I hadn’t seen one. Finally, we were driving home from Mom’s on Sunday and Mr. G pointed one out. It was so beautiful, and from then on, I saw them everywhere. There were hundreds of them all the way home.
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I wonder if they had been there all along and I was just so caught up in myself that I didn’t notice. Did I just need someone to point out the beauty for me to see? How may did miss?
The other morning, I woke up and I was grumpy. I had pushed snooze several times. Stupid alarm. I stumbled to the bathroom. The exhaust fan automatically comes on with the light. It is loud. Stupid fan. I went to the kitchen. I weighed. Stupid scale. Stupid calories. I tried to start my bible study, but my brain couldn’t process. I grabbed my prayer journal and started writing.
“What is wrong with me? I am so blessed, why am I so moody today? Why? Why have I snapped at the most patient man, the man of my prayers and dreams? Why have I scowled at the reflection in the mirror and been so critical of your creation, Lord?”
I heard. “My grace is sufficient. Choose Joy”.
“But Lord, my hair is really frizzy and the clothes in the dryer are still damp and that political post on Facebook is unfair and incorrect.”
“My grace is sufficient. Choose Joy”.
“I will try, Lord.”
And I did. I made an effort to smile. Let it go. Choose joy. Two more times that day I heard someone mention choosing joy or being joyful. I wasn’t perfect, but I was better. The more I heard joy mentioned, the more I things I noticed to be happy about. The more things I noted that were praiseworthy.
I wonder if like the butterflies those things had been there all along. I had been so caught up with myself that I didn’t even notice. I wonder how many joyful things I miss? Thank you, Lord for pointing out the Joy when I choose to look for it.
