Joy Found Me | I Found Joy

There is a difference between existing and living.

Existing can look like simply making it through the day—checking the boxes, fulfilling responsibilities, surviving one season after another. But living invites us to be present enough to recognize the goodness that exists alongside the growing.

From a mental health perspective, joy is more than a temporary feeling of happiness. Happiness often responds to what is happening around us; joy can be cultivated within us through gratitude, meaning, connection, hope, and contentment. Joy doesn’t require us to deny disappointment, pain, or the areas of our lives that still need work. Instead, it allows us to say, “There is still more growing to do, AND I am grateful for how far I’ve come.”

From a biblical perspective, joy runs even deeper.

Scripture reminds us: “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” — Nehemiah 8:10 (KJV)

Biblical joy is not the absence of trouble; it is a source of strength in the midst of life. It is rooted in our relationship with God, our confidence in His faithfulness, and our ability to recognize His goodness—even while we are still becoming.

Joy & Contentment

I’m learning that joy and contentment go hand in hand.

Contentment doesn’t mean settling. It means I can desire more without despising now. I can pursue BETTER without overlooking the beauty of what God has already done. I can acknowledge what still needs healing, strengthening, changing, or developing while allowing the growth that has already occurred to bring me great joy.

And there is freedom there.

Today, I’m learning to recognize joy in every dimension of my life: personal joy, family joy, spiritual joy, financial joy, relational joy, environmental joy, vocational and professional joy—and perhaps most importantly, inner joy.

Not because everything in every area is perfect. It isn’t.

But because I’ve stopped requiring perfection before giving myself permission to experience joy.

Maybe joy found me when I finally slowed down long enough to notice it.

And maybe I found joy when I stopped measuring my life only by what was missing and began thanking God for what was present, what had changed, what I had survived, who I had become, and who I am still becoming.

This Wellness Wednesday, ask yourself:

Where has joy already found me—and have I allowed myself to fully receive it?

Live. Be present. Give thanks. Keep growing. Choose joy. 💙

Ever Experiencing. Ever Learning. Ever Becoming.