~ la vita è bella ~

Life is beautiful.

The more I live it, the more I realize how true this is. There is so much beauty to take in all around us. The delighted giggle of a happy baby, a golden sunrise behind the trees, the warm embrace of a dear friend: all of these are things that I experience almost every day, and yet far too often I take them for granted.

In today's world, everything is rushed. We rush to the store, we rush to class, we rush to work, and the whole time our lives are spent rushing, we forget how to live. We forget to take time to notice the beauty around us and the people around us.

There is so much pain and hurting in the world, and so little love and genuine care. What if we all slowed down and took time to help somebody in need, smiled at the little kid in the grocery store, or just come along side that hurting friend and give them the listening ear that they need. It really is amazing how ordinary things that we think are so trivial and simple can bring a huge smile to someone's face and make their day. How much different would life be if we went into each day thinking,
"In what ways can God's love shine through me to others today?" Believe me, spreading God's love to others is contagious. When you are filling others' lives with love, God's love is constantly filling your heart, and it is a constant cycle of joy.

"For I have derived much

joy and comfort from your love,

my brother,

because the hearts of the saints

have been refreshed through you.

Philemon 1:7

Joy. It is one of the best feelings in the world. The word joy is mentioned in the Bible 214 times!
However, I struggle daily with having joy. I get stressed out, worried, frustrated, and upset, and I forget that I am not the one in control, and I don't need to worry! Because of my salvation in Christ, I have been given a joy in my heart that no "happy formulas" on this earth can produce!
Joy and happiness are very different. Anyone can be happy. Circumstances make us happy, people make us happy, and stuff makes us happy, but it's so temporary. Something doesn't go our way, and our happiness is ruined. It is not until you have the Holy Spirit working in your heart and filling you that true, lasting, genuine joy can be felt.

Of course, I'm not saying we should all be a Pollyanna, where everything makes us "glad, glad, glad!". We will have our share of tears and pain. But when we can come out of that knowing that this is temporary, and God causes all things happen for a reason, we don't have to stay hurting.
There is the promise of Heaven and eternal joy for those who are saved through faith in Jesus Christ! That in itself should flood us with such a hope and peace. We are held in the hands of the only all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-loving God, and nothing can ever change that.

  
"Casting all your anxieties on Him,

because He cares for you."

1 Peter 5:7

He cares for us! The Creator of the universe loves us more than we could ever dream. Because of His amazing love, we can find beauty in the little things, the everyday things, and even the unpleasant things. We don't have to worry about anything, because our lives are dictated and orchestrated by the Almighty God.

So slow down. Take a breath. Thank God for the everyday. And laugh. Because life really is beautiful.

            

              ~Megan ♥ 

*pictures via Google