joy - as from dictionary.com
–noun
1. the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation: She felt the joy of seeing her son's success.
2. a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly valued or appreciated: Her prose style is a pure joy.
3. the expression or display of glad feeling; festive gaiety.
4. a state of happiness or felicity.
–verb (used without object)
5. to feel joy; be glad; rejoice.
As many of you know, I work with people that have different developmental disabilities and as I have recently been gone for a longer period of time I never realized how much I missed them.
One day while I was working my dad's booth at the state fair I saw a facility (similar to the one I work at) that had gone on a field trip with their clients. I couldn't help but to say hello to them since I missed my clients so much. As I approached the group I couldn't help but smile at the older man that kept saying hi to me. I was a little grumpy that I was at the fair instead of packing up our move to Idaho the next day, and maybe even a little flustered that the weather had not been cooperating lately. But through all that I couldn't get over how happy the older man in the cardboard chaquita banana hat was.
Flash forward to this now. Devon and I are in testimony meeting and an older woman gets up to talk about the fun she had this last week, canning with her husband. She spoke about the joys in life, when you get to be older and enjoy going to church and not disciplining children, the time you get to spend with your spouse and the grandchildren you get to spoil. These are the years to enjoy she said with tears in her eyes. This woman found joy in canning, time with loved ones and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
How easy it is to get caught up in the things of life and forget what I have truly been given. As dictionary.com put it, "a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly valued or appreciated". I speak for myself when I say I need to reflect on what I really value, because the more I think about it and spend time pondering, the more joy it really brings.
When I go to work everyday I work with people that have disabilities ranging from no forms of communication to slight social problems. But something that almost all of the clients at Upper Valley Options have in common, a joy for the small things. There is one man I work with who loves to mow the lawn and shovel snow because he feels hard at work, other clients just love to ask how your day is going so they feel involved, and still others simply enjoy their friends they have made.
Recently I was helping a young man with some math problems that involved coins. It took almost 45 minutes to work through one sheet and he did extremely well with a little encouragement and help and it was one of the best days that I had in a while. How often do I think about my ability to count coins and solve math problems as a blessing in my life? It really is.
Just a thought, but it seems when I take time to count my blessings and recognize the Lord's hand in my life I can see God's glory and can better appreciate what I have in my life. Sad enough it is easy to become repetitive in prayers, forgetful of what we've been given, slow to remember the Lord and not delight in the simple things in life. I think everyone needs to take time to strive to show the Lord they care, and then we can understand how much we've been given and recognize what we value.
I am a child of God, I am a college graduate, I have been sealed in the temple for time and all eternity, I love my husband, I get to spend time with him often, I have a great job, I have the Gospel in my life, I have a roof over my head, I get to go to church every Sunday, My home is a temple, I get to work with special spirits that teach me more and more everyday. I am blessed.
