Finding joy

“Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” (Psalm 30:4-5, NRSV)
Upon entering this season in which happiness and joy seem to be thrust upon us from every direction, the ladies of our church did a study on what it means to be joyful as opposed to what it means to be simply happy.
Many enter this season lonely or missing loved ones. Many see picture-perfect Christmases on that wonderful channel which is so well known for its picture-perfect holidays (I’m not ashamed to say that I do love that channel!). Or we see the picture-perfect happiness of families who all love each other and all get along so well in social media, we see stores decked out so beautifully (is this what it is supposed to look like?) — we see people showing us the very best that they have!
Many long for something like this. People may wonder, why can’t my family (or house, or friends, or whatever it may be) be like what I see? Is it real?
What our ladies know to be true is that happiness is fleeting, but joy is something deeper, something lasting, even in the midst of heartache and longing.
As Christians, we are in good company as we name those things that cause us anger or grief or agony. We get to bring them before our mighty God, who promises to listen to our prayers. The Psalms are a great place to find a voice for this! As Christians, we are also right to connect joy with our mighty God, who gives us the gift of joy as a fruit of the Spirit. Joy is indeed a gift. Happiness comes and goes. Joy is the stuff that lasts. 
The Rev. Dr. Anna Madsen says that, “Joy is a state of mind defined not by the present moment, but by the recognition that there is something beyond us that makes us more than we think we are, a contentment that we are loved no matter what, a perspective that defines us with worth…” Well said, indeed.
You, dear one, are loved by God. Above all else, that is the thing that defines you. It is not something fleeting, it is everlasting. May you know the simple and immense joy of resting in the arms of Jesus this holiday season.
Peace be with you.