I’ve been more pain free this last week, than I’ve been in a long time.
I am beyond thankful.
AND we had nice weather, so I’ve been walking again some. Another thing I’m thankful for. AND I even jogged a little bit when I took a walk on Friday. This is monumental for me. Even two weeks ago, I would not have done that, would not have felt like it, would not have been able to. I am shouting praises to God and asking for his continuing healing and just grateful for every good day. I may have more pain, my back/leg/sciatic stuff may flair up again, there WILL be bad days and sick days in my future, but I am rejoicing!
I thought about the woman in the Bible who lost her coin, lighted her lamp, swept her house until she found it and then called her friends and neighbors to rejoice with her. I thought about her as I texted some of my close family members. I felt that same way! Elation and a celebratory cry of, “Rejoice with me!”
You can’t rejoice over something found or restored unless it has first been lost or damaged.
I’ve also been thinking a bit lately about rejoicing with those who rejoice and choosing to share the happiness of others over things they love or excited about. I believe that’s what a lot of blogging and social media is about. People are sharing statuses and photos and posts about good times in their lives or things they’re excited about or memories made. It’s kind of like digital, online photo albums.
Both of our sets of parents have shelves full of old photo albums filled with old photos. Some dog-eared. Some yellowed. Some of the album covers are cracked. Corners on the books are worn. Some have photos falling out of them.
Today, many of our memories and photos are stored on computer and/or online. With the added benefit of the ability to share them across miles to family and friends far away…..or near, too!
I thought about how social media can get a bad rap. I get pulled into comparison and start to feel like everyone else has it better or it looks like they have a perfect life or all these great times. I’ve talked to friends who have got snared by comparison’s web. I’ve read blogposts about it. I’ve seen quotes along this line ~Don’t compare your day to day life to someone else’s highlight reel.
But, I did it at times even before social media. Comparison is a game we must choose not to play.
Joy for others and gratitude for life and the daily details is a game I want a big part in! I want it to go from a game to an everyday don’t-even-think-about-it way-of-life for me!
I’ve loved taking pictures of simple everyday things and noticing details and simply rejoicing in the good in our lives.
I thought about how much in the last few years, I’ve read about choosing gratitude and how thankfulness and reaching out to others produces the fruit of joy. I thought about how true I believe that to be! I talked about my Gratitude Journal over here, and I still love this intentional time of jotting down things I’m thankful for and I know it has blessed me.
I know my attitude is strongly affected by what I focus on. If I am continually dwelling on the disappointments and heartaches and discontentment and disgruntled feelings that crop up, negativity closes in quickly. Yes, my life is going to always have rough times and let downs and unmet expectations. Because this ole planet is scarred with sin.
But when I start playing the comparison game and thinking “Poor me”, I want to stop and think about how discouraging it would be if everyone was posting all their bad stuff. That would be horrible!! And it wouldn’t stop the comparison game for me. It would fuel my self-righteousness. I would be all like, “Oh well, I’m better than they are because I didn’t lose my temper today.” And guess what? I bet I’d soon lose my temper, because that’s just the kind of trap Satan likes to set and he knows I so easily fall into it.
I appreciate the real posts about struggles and emotions and hard times and how people have walked through them with God’s hand and by His grace. I think there are a lot of stories out there that encourage and help other people facing the same thing or walking through a difficult circumstance.
Life is far from perfect. Life just plain hurts sometimes. Life can be scary.
Yet, life is such a gift! Every new day is a gift! Every day I can climb out of bed on my own power is a reason to shout hallelujahs at the top of my voice!
Joy unspeakable! I want it to keep multiplying in me.
What we focus on affects our outlook. We can choose positive or we can choose negative. Go for the joy!

I am glad you are feeling better. That is a pretty picture of the roses and elegant old lamp.
Thank-you! Feeling better and the photo have both made me happy! 🙂