A Day of Joy and Frustration

So this day is actually about the weekend, which has been wonderful, but I am ashamed to admit I have had my moments of frustration. Have you even had the feeling of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Okay so I may not have been that bad but it seemed like I would go from excited and happy to frustrated at seemingly small things this weekend. Take for example one of my favorites times of year, the Christmas tree hunt. Both my husband and I like having a real tree so every year, when we can, out we go trudging through the bush to find that perfect tree. Only this year we are trudging through the bush with a toddler who had trouble walking on flat ground and a 5 month old baby, who certainly have more affection for the comforts of home rather then the rigors of the outdoors. Gratefully; however, we found a tree rather quickly but that was partially due to the fact that I was willing to settle for less then perfect this year just to get the kids through it as painlessly and without tears as possible. (When my husband asked me where we wanted to go looking for a tree this year I actually thought Home Depot might be nice, but he has this problem with buy a real tree when you can chop it down yourself.)

But here we were striking out on this wonderful part of our Christmas tradition and I was getting grumpy because my 2 year old was having trouble walking on the trail as I was trying to get both kids out of the way of a soon to be falling tree. He just refused to move his feet even though the snow wasn't too deep and the trail wasn't too rough, so here I was trying to carry the little one and trying to drag the toddler through the bush. *Sigh* But we made it and I had to remind myself not to ruin what had been a great weekend so far.

That is just one story, but truly we all survived and even got a pretty decent tree out of it. It is actually nicer then the one we found last year. But here I was getting grumpy for no good reason and this happened a few more times over the course of the weekend, but what good did it really do me when I did get grumpy...none. So this brings me to today. Yes once again, advent. Guess what the candle is this week...Joy! Yup, just in case I needed a reminder. This season is a time for joy and celebration. Joy that when my husband and I took my mom out to the Keg for supper tonight, my darling daughter (who cries when her dad is holding her and I leave the room) was a perfect angel for her Aunty. Joy that my son is so clever, that when he saw the ad for the iphone 4 in the flyers he started trying to work the screen :) Joy that I have a wonderful husband who stayed up until 11pm to help me decorate the Christmas tree and never got impatient with me when I have to redo things that "didn't quite look right". Joy that God cared enough for me to come to earth as a innocent child, to live as a man and to restore the broken relationship between Him and I.

There is a reason for Joy all around you and I, sometimes we see it sometimes we don't. How often I get caught up in MY life and miss all that is around me that should make me smile and allow Joy to bubble out....or maybe a laugh or too. I have been told many times that I have a very distinctive laugh, not in a annoying way (except that my husband sometimes calls it an electrocuted squirrel laugh or if it is really good I might reach "stealth").

Today: Looking for my JOY. Where can you find it around you and how can you share it with others?