So far, we’ve discussed looking for the joy that God surrounds us with, doing things we love or used to love, and using the internet to bring joy with friendships and fulfilling our purpose or showing our talents. This week, I’d like to share something very important as you find things to be thankful for each day. Give yourself permission to fail.
If you really can’t think or do something one day, two days, it’s ok. Start again tomorrow. Forgive yourself as God forgives us when we fail. And start again. Tomorrow is another day to make a fresh start. Each time you do, you will gain joy and strength and eventually a habit that sustains you in the darker times.
Sometimes it takes a while to find something you’ll be thankful you did in the future. Give yourself space to fail. If you try doing an activity you once loved and it just isn’t something you can do now or it’s no longer something that brings you joy, try something else. Some things are worth trying just so you know they aren’t what you need right now.
And then there are some things that you were meant to do for a time. I told you about how my For the Love of Purple page was taken from me by Facebook because I wasn’t able to prove I was me due to a glitch in Facebook’s site. I had run that page gleefully for almost ten years when this happened and I was upset at the time. However, after trying my best to recover it, I found that I felt it was time to move on.
For nearly ten years, my purple passion had not only made me happy, but it apparently got some women through some tough times. I had no idea what I was doing was bringing beauty into their world which allowed them to move forward after the death of their husbands or a divorce until I began getting messages from my fans. Just a little purple each day meant so much to them at such a hard time in their lives.
Well, that phase of my life was over, but I felt a calling to help support those going through chronic illness and that brings us to my blog and facebook group. You never know where God will lead you. I want you to remember that you can find joy inside your tunnel of trials if you look for them and work toward fulfilling a purpose even if it’s just texting a loving message to someone who is hurting or smiling at a stranger at your door.
What will you do? I’d love to hear your story!