Rediscovering Our Joy!

For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may endure for a night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5

The brain's joy center is located in the right orbital prefrontal cortex. It is the only section of the brain that never loses its capacity to grow.

It grows in response to real, joy-filled relationships. People need to know who they are and be frequently reminded of who they are by those who love them. 

Maturity demands the people honestly face their traumas, even when it is painful. When I do not deal with sin in my life or how sinful acts have been done against me,  it will trigger and produce disaster.

The joy region of our brain is also the bonding region as well. When you discover weakness in this area of the brain, you will often discover conditions like anxiety, depression, attention deficit disorder, eating disorders, narcissism and compulsive behaviours.

I have been meeting virtually with a really amazing counselor and I'm learning that whenI go back and deal with past traumas, there is a strength to feeling those feelings and negative emotions, even to be overwhelmed by them.

It's been said that when there are tears you know the Holy Spirit is at work.  

Learn to understand and experience the spirit of heaviness. There is a depth of the soul to go to in conviction, repentance and agony that can bring about a blessing and realization of the overwhelming baptism of the Holy Spirit. 

Dr. Martin-Lloyd Jones

Personally, I've had to work through feelings that I'm not enough and that I am a failure.  I know that I have is very memorable laugh but beneath that, there has been a lot of hurt and things that I have tried to stuff down inside of me unsuccessfully.   It rears it's ugly head in moments where I become very defensive and when I allow myself to live in resentment and choose self-sabotage.

The place where we need to go is found in the strength to feel feelings while knowing the path back to joy.

I have a mentor as well who I take walks with. He has reminded me that God is even there in the moment of my despondency and sin as well. He has challenged me to enter into the prayer of examen.  

Knowing the path back to joy builds resilience, hope, strength and confidence.  We don't allow ourselves to become stuck, but we don't just avoid unpleasant feelings either.

There is a desperate need for people to find loving arms, words of affirmation and sometimes, just simple presence.   We don't need to have arrived to be those people, we just need to be honest, vulnerable and be on the journey to joy!