7 Joy Discovered

I like to imagine joy like a thing discovered along a journey. We will travel many roads and through many seasons in life and will always have the choice to follow God or not. If we choose the road He is leading us on we are guaranteed to find joy along the journey. It might come like a rest stop, just when we need it the most. It might come like and overwhelmingly beautiful sight that takes you by surprise when traveling on a lonely mountain road. Joy might be sought out along the journey by keeping your eyes peeled and anticipating it's arrival. True joy is something found and given while traveling on God's road. Sometimes though, we find ourselves on another road. A road taken in disobedience or in a direction God does not intend. A road chosen hastily and without God's involvement. Sometimes it is staying on a road longer than we should. It's funny how something God intends as good, for a season in our life, can turn sour when clutched to tightly. Traveling the road of life apart from Him is a place without joy. God does not bring the same timely rest when needed. He doesn't reveal his nuggets of joy along the way that could be discovered along His path if only we were there. We might still continue in our way, supplanting heavenly joy with worldly pleasure in order to continue on our own road. But soon we discover that the world has nothing new to offer and cannot satisfy. This discovery only bring more misery, more hopelessness, more sorrow. It is the narrow road that God calls us to. He is the father of creativity and His road is a scenic one. It will offer us wonder and awe around every corner. It will bring rest in it's season, and toil in another. The satisfaction of our journey will far outweigh and sweat lost in hardship. The journey itself is not the only prize, for while God created for us the world in 5 days he now has been working on our mansions in heaven for more than 2000 years.