Searching for Joy

I've been thinking about joy. It's something we all want, yet in our travels across Texas visiting with friends about life, it seems elusive to many at times. Me included. Yesterday, our 3rd apartment fell through when our prospective landlord decided he wanted to change the conditions of our contract. We are 10,000 miles away and we can't do anything about it. All our earthly posessions are somewhere in the middle of the Pacific on a boat right now. When they arrive, there will be no home to put them in. Furthermore, when we arrive, we will have no home. This is the latest in a string of unexpected, unpredictable, nothing-we-can-do events. I'm sure you can write you own list! These frustrations might in certain weak moments, be impetus for despair.

So, I'm fighting back. I'm searching for joy. I love looking at broad themes across the Bible and seeing a big picture. Here are my discoveries as I log them for myself; Please join me if you like!

Thought on Joy #1
Here seems the most basic, fundamental thing we can say about joy: Godly joy as defined by the Word of God comes from God. It is a fruit of the Spirit (Ga 5:22). Obvious, right? But it might help me to start by acknowledging my inability to produce it. I can certainly do things to hinder the flow, or things to put me on the path towards finding it. But most foundationally, I can't make it happen. So Paul says to the Thessalonians, "In spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. More to come...