8 Unexpected Things That Bring Me Joy
This article is personal, and I hope it helps someone struggling with life. Last year was difficult, leading me to appreciate the Things that Bring Joy Into My Life. They are simple things like ice cream!
First, I had taken on too many responsibilities and every time I thought about them, stress screamed at me. I also had a thyroid problem I knew nothing about until the year was almost over. I didn’t realize it was causing me to be angry and adding to my stress. I couldn’t figure out why I was suddenly struggling with negative emotions like anger.
I live on a beautiful farm, but our workload last summer was daunting. We had planted pasture grass the year before, and now it had to be watered, cut, baled, and stacked four times through the season. My husband and I are in our 70s, which explains my use of the word ‘daunting.’ Exhausting might be a better word. We love farm life but finally enlisted help with the stacking portion of the work. We did revel in how beautiful the pasture was.
Overall, I’m a happy person living a happy life, but last year was not a happy or joy-filled year. I have a blog, and one of the articles is The Benefits of Rejoicing in the Lord, which many people have read and enjoyed. I reread my blog and knew I had to take action to get out of this funk I was in. I needed to experience joy again.
We have to prepare ourselves to live good lives of defiant joy even in the midst of chaos and suffering — Brian McLaren.
I was in the midst of internal chaos, and this quote spoke to me because I had never thought of having defiant joy. What a fantastic way to describe it!
I finally resigned from two of the outside responsibilities I had. It was a relief. Next, I cut back on the thyroid medication and finally stopped it completely. It took time, but I gradually felt better and returned to being myself.
After a tough year, I wanted to share the unexpected things that bring joy to my life. I love to encourage others to find inspiration and experiences that bring joy. Our world tends to be on the negative side, and we all need ways to find some joy and peace, so here are the eight things that brought unexpected joy into my life.
Things That Bring Joy — The Unexpected Joy of Goats
Last year, I bought four baby goats and bottle-fed them for the first eight weeks of their lives. One got sick and died, and that stirred up my already overactive stress. I was constantly afraid I would unknowingly kill another one. A friend gave me a beautiful little guy I had wanted, and he was a blessing but lots of work.
The picture at the top is one of my goats, Snickerdoodle, and she’s very nosey. I was inside the goat barn, and she was outside, wanting to see what I was doing. This Dutch door is split top and bottom, and she stood as tall as she could to see me.
Bottle-fed goats are wonderful, but feeding them four times a day was lots of work. I weaned them by eight weeks. They are all happy and healthy, but it took me a long time to regain my confidence to raise them. When the first one died, it devastated me, and I blamed myself even though I had done all I could to save him.
A friend recently asked me why I like the goats. The answer was easy. They are always happy, loving, stubborn and infinitely entertaining. They play with anything they can find to play with. Snickerdoodle kisses me every day, and they all want to be near, sharing their happiness that we are together.
Because I bottle-fed them, they see me as their Mom, and I love it. They bring me joy every day with their endless curiosity about everything. They want to see, touch, nibble on, and be close to everyone and everything, including your shoelaces!
The Unexpected Joy of a Good Thyroid
When I learned my thyroid was out of balance, I chose to gradually wean off of it and then stop it completely. The change was gradual but remarkable as the anger subsided and peace replaced it.
It might sound silly, but if any of you have ever had thyroid problems, you’ll understand. A physical ailment can steal your joy, and though I was in the Word and praying, I had almost lost my joy. Once my body regained balance, I had peace and the unexpected joy of health!
The Unexpected Joy of Nature
We live on a hillside overlooking the valley below with a view into Oregon on the West and the Boise Mountain Range to the East. A variety of hawks hunt the critters creeping through the alfalfa and pastures. They are beautiful and graceful as they float on the wind currents and dive straight down to catch something I can’t even see. There are deer and coyote, pheasants, quail, skunks, and raccoons all living nearby and coming down our road to get to the water below.
Last Fall, after most of the flowers were dead, I saw a plant stubbornly blooming amid a bunch of brown weeds. I took a picture of it and learned it was a type of Aster. The unexpected beauty of a little flower fighting the odds to bloom despite the circumstances brought me joy.
A few days later, another one started blooming in a spot with nothing but dirt around it. No one had watered it, and it wasn’t there the year before. Another flower that decided to show up. Small things can bring a smile.
The Unexpected Joy of Music
I’m a musician. I play the violin, cello, piano, flute and guitar. I’ve played all five at one time or another in church worship teams. I love the new Christian music. A friend sends a group of us new songs to listen to, and many of them catch me by surprise as they touch my heart, stir my soul, and make me a happier person.
Unexpected joy is wonderful because it usually comes from a source you had nothing to do with. You didn’t have to work at it or strain to find it. It simply appears suddenly in some form without you having to do anything at all. Music may not be your thing, but many other simple pleasures bring unexpected joy.
The Unexpected Joy of a Friend Who Cares
In 2016, less than a year after my first husband died in an accident, I was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. I had to have chemo and radiation five days a week for seven weeks. At first, I was able to drive myself back and forth.
Then came an unexpected and caring action from someone I didn’t know. She had beaten the same type of cancer and knew what was ahead for me. She arranged for a group of friends from a lady’s motorcycle group we were part of to pick me up, take me to the hospital, wait with me, and take me back home. I was so sick I could barely keep water down, and someone came each day for three weeks to transport me. Their unexpected generosity and caring brought me joy.
I finally met the lady and thanked her for her caring action — truly the actions of a friend. I had no idea I would get so sick, and I don’t like asking for help. However, someone else stepped in to provide support I didn’t know I would need. Their unselfish actions are gifts I can never repay.
The Unexpected Joy of Second Love
When my first husband died, I was devastated. We had been together since we were 16 and 17. We grew up together, had three sons and seven grandchildren and had an excellent relationship. When he passed, I was sure I would never marry again. After all, I had one great love and didn’t think I could find another one.
Once again, a friend had different ideas and introduced me to a wonderful man who had lost his wife unexpectedly two years before my husband. We each understood what the other one had been through and fell in love. Two years after being widowed, I married this fine man, and we are quite happily married.
Marrying when you’re older is comfortable and beautiful. You aren’t dealing with the pressures of jobs, money, and families to raise. Instead, your life is more relaxed. Thankfully, our children were happy for us. I didn’t expect the joy of second love because I didn’t expect second love! However, I thank God daily for this man and our life together.
The Unexpected Joy of Gratitude
When my first husband died, I found myself focusing on what I’d lost. I couldn’t see ahead or see what I had. I knew about the power of gratitude and began using it to keep myself from sinking into the abyss of grief.
Every day, multiple times per day, I would begin to thank God for anything and everything I had, from food in the refrigerator to shoes and socks. Whenever I felt grief trying to suck me down, I practiced gratitude.
Don’t misunderstand; I grieved, but I also knew that I had to set limits on it and not allow it to consume me. That practice of gratitude brought me through the darkness and back out into the light. I continue to be thankful each day. Gratitude brings joy.
Many parts of life bring joy — my church, friends, laughter, health and more. Sometimes, you have to search for something to be grateful for, but if you try, there are always things like a note, a stubborn flower, a smile, or a hug that can bring unexpected joy if you’re willing to watch for them.
The Unexpected Joy of Faith
I could suggest some actions, like getting a gratitude journal or reading books on gratitude. I’m a Christian and have a wonderful church full of people who love and support me. They walked with me through the darkness of grief. Whether you go to church or not, faith is an excellent source of joy.
Faith can be an anchor in times when your life seems like one big storm. It can bring peace and hope back into your life. Your faith doesn’t have to look like mine. No matter how you practice it, faith helps.
I pray you find joy, peace and hope in your life every day. If you don’t, try some gratitude because it can’t hurt. Or, find a friend who has goats — they are a surefire way to get a smile on your face!
Go to InspiringWords4UpwardLiving to find more inspiration You can also email me at inspiration4upwardliving@gmail.com.
I would love to hear from you.
