The secret to true joy

Have you ever experienced someone who is truly joyful? And at that, joyful in all situations? Who are they? Why are they able to be so happy?

I found myself asking these questions as I contemplated the first of the Beatitudes. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:3)  

The poor in spirit, to me, are the people that realize that they are nothing without God. They see themselves as an instrument of God, not as someone that needs to make things happen for themselves. 

As an American, I was always taught that I could do anything. That if I wanted something, I needed to make it happen. That I was the only one that could make me happy. I was taught by society and culture that the more that I had, whether financial stability, material belongings, or professional success, the happier I would be. 

Then I went on my first international mission trip to Kingston, Jamaica, and the people there didn't have financial stability. They didn't have material possessions. And they didn't have professional success either. But they were the happiest people I had ever met up to that point. What was the one thing that gave them their happiness? The knowledge that they would be taken care of by our Loving God. 

After that trip, I started to see the lack of joy in the country I lived in. I have a few beautiful people in my life at home that I am blessed to call friends, and each of them shares the indescribable joy that the people of Jamaica had. Sometimes that joy is fleeting, but when we return to our Loving Father the joy returns.

Now as I reflect on my time in Honduras, I think of all of the beautiful people I have met that radiate joy. I have been blessed to call many of them my friends. And even though Honduras is a developing country, there are people of all different financial situations here. From the poor to the wealthy here in Honduras, they have a gratitude to God for providing for them. In moments where I tried to make a change, work harder, or "fix" the problem, they trusted in the goodness of The Lord. They knew our Heavenly Father would take care of them. 

I am blessed to have these people as such beautiful examples of faith. Whether they are physically poor or not, they share one common trait. They believe in God more than they believe in themselves. They know that God will take care of them and provide for them everything that they need. They are blessed by being poor in spirit. Therefore the kingdom of heaven is theirs. And God in His infinite love gives them the gift of joy to experience a little bit of heaven here on earth.

My Prayer for Peaceful Protesting

Right now, I feel so blessed to be a citizen in a country where the people have a say in politics, that there is a good sense of checks and balances so that corruption doesn't destroy the country, and that the people feel safe.

The current state in Honduras is not like that. As developing country I can see the people's desire for change.  They want their voice to be heard.  They want the government not to be corrupt.  They want to feel safe and protected in their own country.  As I write this there is a peaceful protest happening outside my window.  They are marching, like they have the past few Sunday nights and as they will continue to do so until they see a change.

My prayer for Honduras is this: That the people may see the change that is necessary for Honduras to become a better, more stable country.  That they will remain peaceful in their pursuit of justice.  That they will see that even in countries like the USA, people protest, disagree, and feel abandoned by the government.  And most of all, I pray that they see the God is with them, protecting them, and loving them even more than they can see in the midst of their struggles.

My Stolen Heart

My heart has been stolen.  Seriously, little bits of it have been taken from me.  So many so that it feels like part of my heart has gone missing. Stolen. Stolen by people I have fallen in love with here in Honduras - my students.

At the beginning of the year I was nervous, but excited, to meet them.  Slowly their personalities began to open up to me.  Each day they let me in a little bit more.  And I let them in a bit more.  They complained about the journals, but they let me in by writing about real things.  I learned so much about them - About what they like, dislike, feel, dream, and believe. And slowly, but surely I shared things about myself with them.  The more we shared, the more I let them into my heart.  The more we shared, the more of my heart they filled. Each day, joy has been brought into my life by these people.  Each day, more opportunities for me to grow because of how they challenged me. Each day, more of my heart went to each one of them.  And now, as the school year is ending I have realized that they have taken little pieces of my heart.  Stolen. Forever.

As I prepare to say goodbye to each of them at the end of this week, I hope they know how much I love each of them.  I hope they know how much I deeply care for each of them, for their success, and for their spiritual well being.  I hope they know that I pray for each of them daily, and I will continue to pray for each of them.  I hope they know that no matter how far away I will be that a little bit of them will always be with me in my heart because the little bits of themselves that they gave me replaced the pieces of my heart that they have stolen.  Because of them - because of their love - I have become a better person.  I have learned more from them than I could have possibly taught them.  And the memories of these moments of learning, kindness, compassion, and love can fill the void of my stolen heart.

Seeing the Big Picture

Sometimes, its truly difficult to see the big picture when you are too close to it.  You just see what is right in front of your face.  Whether it is something that is good for you in the present moment or something that is heartbreaking for you... whatever it is that is right there, you see.

Rarely do we take the time to step back and see the entire situation for what it truly is... a fleeting moment in the grand scheme of life.  Sometimes, well all the time, it's important to take a step back and try to see the bigger picture.

When something good happens to you, take a step back.  Thank God for giving you the opportunity to enjoy the moment.  And then try to see it in a bigger way... Is this something that God is calling you to right now or is this just fulfilling some frivolous external need?  Is this going to be healthy and sustainable for you? Is this what you are being blessed with while still seeking Heaven in the long term?  If it is leading you to God, then YES! Victory! Now, if it is fulfilling a temporary, frivolous, or an external need maybe its time to reevaluate the situation and refocus your life back to God's will.

If something terrible or heartbreaking happens, take a step back.  Thank God for the opportunity to learn and grow from the situation.  And then try to see it in a bigger way... Is this a struggle that God is leading you to so that you can learn to trust in Him?  Is this something that can help you to realize you have drifted away from the most important things in life?  Is this something to guide you back to Him? If you see it as God's will for you to learn to trust in Him deeper, YES! Unite your suffering to His and learn to love Him in a new way! Now, if it is something self-inflicted, some choice that brought you away from God, take this time to repent and realign your will to His will for you.

Either way, His will is truly what should bring you joy. Whether His will currently makes you happy or suffer, His will for your life is by far the most important thing we could be seeking.  By looking at things in the bigger picture, we are able to live a more joyful life knowing that in every moment we are accompanied by a loving God who is guiding us.

So today, no matter what happened... take a step back.  Look at the day with eyes desiring to do the Will of God.  Doing the will of the one that sent me will be what brings me joy all of my days!