Spread Some Joy!

- November 17, 2024

As we're approaching the holiday season, we tend to hear more songs and conversations related to joy. Now, I do love Christmas songs 💖!! One of my favorite Christmas songs, "Joy to the World, " has joy in its title. Songs, such "O Come All Ye Faithful" and "Hark the Herald Angels Sing (another favorite of mine)" includes being joyful in the lyrics of their songs. When we look at the word joy, it's about having pleasure and delight in something. Joy is not just something we can have during the Christmas season. Joy is something we can have all year round 😊. Not only can we have it all year round, but we can show it all year round. Joy is one of the fruit of the Spirit that should be seen in our lives in all seasons (Galatians 5:22-23). It doesn't mean every moment of the year is a good one, but it's in those moments we can still find joy in God. One Wednesday afternoon in October, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit local nursing home residents with the students in Bible Club. While there, students shared Scriptures, poems, prayers, and music in the dining hall. Fall cards that the students had decorated were also given to the residents in the dining hall. To watch the faces of the resident smile and be full of joy the whole time we were in the dining hall made my heart leap and filled me with joy 😊. I remember one lady in particular who clapped about everything as she was so excited and full of joy! I'm so grateful we were able to spread joy 💖!! That's what we're called to do in whatever part of the world we're in- spread joy 😊. You may not be able to visit nursing home residents, but there is something that you can do to spread joy. You can call, email, or text someone to check on them. You can visit someone to see how they are doing. You can share a Scripture with someone that will speak life and uplift them. You can pray with and for someone 🙏. You can use your gift and talents to spread joy. You can give an encouraging word or compliment to someone. Speaking to and listening to someone can make a difference. After students shared in the dining hall, students and adults alike went around and spoke to the residents. We said hi, introduced ourselves, and asked them how they were doing. This was also the time the fall cards were given out. I have to pause here and say that our young people did an amazing job going around speaking to the residents! They were very polite and social, and I loved watching every minute of it! Our Bible Club has had the opportunity to spread joy to one of the nursing home residents for over a year in a pen pal program where we give her cards, snacks, and gifts. On that Wednesday afternoon in October, I had the opportunity to meet our pen pal 💖!! When I tell you that I was so excited about it, I was!! My heart still leaps with joy thinking about the moment I walked into her room and met her for the first time 😊. While we've spreading joy to her, she has also given us joy. That's what usually happens! While we're spreading joy to others, we often feel joy ourselves. It's been in my lowest moments that I had to hold on to joy, which I found in God's Word and things that helped uplift me. Yes, let's keep spreading joy in the holiday season. However, let's make it our goal to spread joy every day in every season. When December goes and January begins, let's keep spreading and finding joy. My October visit to the nursing home once again reminded me of the importance of spreading joy all year round. All ages can spread joy. So, what do you say?! Let's go spread joy and remember to hold on to joy ourselves