November Editor’s Letter: The Power of Joy

On my 42nd birthday back in September, my daughter asked me a question that I wasn’t expecting. She asked me to share something I’ve learned this year that has changed my life.

Without hesitation, I told her that one of the biggest things I’m learning is how to experience joy. Not just say I have joy, but actually experience it.

I told her that knowing God has me, regardless of what I’m going through, gives me joy. And that’s something I’m learning to appreciate more and more.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Happiness is great! But I’ve come to realize that happiness, in my opinion, isn’t the destination. For a long time, I found myself chasing it. I would tell myself, “If I could just do this or have that, I would be happy.” But once I got it, I would move the goalpost. Before I could even enjoy what I had, I was already thinking about the next thing that would make me happy.

Let me give you a perfect example.

I’ve been working on a backyard project, and I remember saying, “Once I get my garden, I’ll be happy.” Well, I got the garden! But before I could even sit down and enjoy it, I was thinking, “Man, if I could just add a patio, that would make me happy.”

So, I started working on the patio. But guess what? I hadn’t even taken the time to sit down and enjoy it. I hadn’t really enjoyed the garden either, which is right next to it. And before I knew it, my mind was moving on to the next thing. “Man, all I need now is a fire pit in the backyard!”

One morning, the Lord brought something to my attention: I hadn’t taken the time to sit down and fully enjoy what He had already blessed me with.

That really made me think. How many times do we do this? We get so caught up in what we want next that we don’t take the time to enjoy what we already have. We’re constantly looking ahead, waiting for the next thing, and sometimes we don’t even realize that we’re missing out on the blessings right in front of us.

I’m learning that happiness can be tied to moments and circumstances. There’s nothing wrong with being happy about getting something you’ve worked hard for or reaching a goal. But if we’re always waiting for the next thing to make us happy, when do we actually get to enjoy life?

Joy is different.

Joy allows me to sit down, look around, and thank God for what I already have. It doesn’t mean everything is perfect or that I’m not going through anything. It means that even in the middle of what I’m facing, I know God has me. I know He is good, and that gives me a reason to have joy.

Nehemiah 8:10 says, “for the joy of the LORD is your strength” (KJV). I’ve come to appreciate this Scripture in a different way because I’m learning that my joy doesn’t have to depend on what’s happening around me. It comes from knowing Him, trusting Him, and surrendering to Him.

And that’s what I’m learning in my 40s. Joy is a lived experience. It’s learning to be thankful, changing how we look at things, and not allowing what we don’t have to keep us from appreciating what we do have.

As we enter November, a month when gratitude is often on our minds because of Thanksgiving, I want to encourage you to think about your own experience with joy.

Are you enjoying what God has already blessed you with? Or are you so busy thinking about what you want next that you haven’t taken the time to appreciate where you are right now?

I’m learning to enjoy the garden before adding the fire pit. I’m learning that I don’t have to wait for everything else to fall into place before I can enjoy the life God has given me.

Whatever God is doing in this season, I know He is a good God. Even when it’s not comfortable, even when things aren’t going the way I planned, I can still find joy in Him.

I want to encourage you to do the same. Don’t just say you have joy. Experience it. Be thankful. Surrender what you cannot control to God, and give yourself permission to actually live, not just exist while waiting for something else to happen.

There is joy to be experienced right where you are.

With purpose,

Sherrell Valdezloqui
Founder & Publisher
Today’s Purpose Woman