Dare to Begin to Be Happy

Abundant Life, breathe on me
Awaken Joy, hidden deep
Seek me out that I may give
Abundant Joy, so I may live
Help me to speak, carefully
Only the words, You breathe in me.
(Marita Thelander, August, 2008)

In an earlier blog post I talked about Zoe, which means abundant life, something I haven't been walking in recently.  My friend Marita wrote an entry for Hide-and-Seek for the FW challenge that I know was just for me.  It is called, "Breathe On Me."  She doesn't like to toot her own horn so I will toot it for her a bit.  She came in 5th place in the advanced level of writing, which is very good.  But anyway, in it she wrote a poem and this morning she put it to music and it has now become a song - a wonderful song full of life and joy.

Lately I've been floundering.  It seems I've gotten pretty good at that.  Mari had to remind me to choose joy today and every day.  Some people are just natural joy-walkers and some of us really have to work hard at it at certain times of our lives.  This is one of those times for me.   Maybe it is for you, too.  It is so tough being a woman and having to deal with changes in our bodies as we grow older.  Anyone going through that knows exactly what I mean.  We don't understand it but we can certainly relate.

For some reason, tears flow continuously lately.  I had a friend tell me that her grandma used to say her bladder must be located near her tear ducts.  I know it sounds really disgusting but just think about it -- it's so true:)  This is what David had to say about tears:

Psalm 124:5-6
 5 Those who sow in tears
        will reap with songs of joy.

 6 He who goes out weeping,
       carrying seed to sow,
       will return with songs of joy,
       carrying sheaves with him.

Oh, how I hope David is right!  I would love to go out weeping and return with songs of joy.  That is what I'm praying for.  That is what so many of my friends are praying, too.  So many have spoken into my life, these words, abundant life words! 

I'll be a whole 45 years old tomorrow and so, what I am wondering is this:  does it get any easier?  Do you ever get to an age when you stop making mistakes?  Do you ever figure out balance?  Ugh...  I want to choose joy for my 45th year. 

Read along with me from Hinds Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard:

"At last, He (The Lord) said, as she knelt speechless at His feet, "at last you are here and the 'night of weeping is over and joy comes to you in the morning."  Then lifting her up He continued, This is the time when you are to receive the fulfillment of the promises.  Never am I to call you Much-Afraid again."  At that He laughed again and said, "I will write upon her a new name, the name of her God.  The Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.  (Ps. 84:11)  This is your new name," He declared, "From henceforth you are Grace and Glory."

And the Lord also told Much Afraid this, this that I hold onto:  "Dare to begin to be happy."  Today is over, almost anyway.  Tomorrow is a new day.  It's my day.  Tomorrow I choose to begin my 45th year of life daring to begin to be happy.

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