you make me happy but skies are gray,
and now I am feeling rather moody,
because there is no sun today!
Call it a mild case of seasonal affective disorder or what you may, every year around this time, mommy gets a little moodier than normal. Overall I live a very happy life, but I find that as the Wisconsin winter lingers on, I am more irritable and lacking my normal joy-filled self esteem. Last night my youngest daughter asked me, "Mommy, why can't I have a light shine on me all the time." She was seeking night vision to be able to read in the back of a dark car on our way home, and didn't care too much for my response. "You do have a light shine upon you all the time. Jesus is the light of the world and He is always with you." It is in the lessons I often try to teach my children where God speaks to my heart. Silly woman your source of joy is not from the sun, it is from the Son!
Philippians 4:4 says, Always be joyful because you belong to the Lord, I will say it again always be joyful. He says ALWAYS, meaning that even in the gray skied months of winter I should be joyful? Why? Because I belong to the Lord!
It isn't easy and when circumstances are stacked against us, we often don't feel like being joyful. It also doesn't mean that we should where a fake smile on our faces pretending nothing's wrong. Being joyful "always" means choosing joy even when we don't feel like it. In these long winter months I don't feel like being joyful, but I choose to be. Here are a few tips that help me overcome how I feel:
- Know the truth- How I feel about myself is different than what God says is true about myself. Start reading the Bible even if you can only spare a few minutes a day.
- Pray- God knows how you feel and is the best promise keeper His word says: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your request to God. And the peace of God that transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Phil. 4:6-7
- Get moving- God designed our bodies to create hormones that make us feel better about ourselves when we exercise. Research shows that as little as 20 minutes a day can lift your mood!
