Vitamin J

I am currently looking after Rosie, a doggie of really good friends of mine. While we were out this weekend for a nice long walk in Panshanger Park here in Hertfordshire, UK. She was splashing around with some other dogs in the doggie swimming area.

She was having a ball and enjoying every minute of it. Her Vitamin J (joy) level was sky high. I must admit, my Vitamin J levels have been pretty low over the last couple of weeks. But I realised by just looking at her that we should enjoy life … no matter what the circumstances are.

We as humans can so easily be overtaken by life, our circumstances, the difficult relationships we are dealing with, family life, the issues at work, all the stressors of life, etc. A lot of the times those things diminish our joy and the good things in our life.

While I was looking at Rosie in the water, playing her little heart out. I was reminded of this beautiful scripture in the Bible.  Nehemiah 8:10.

And I started wondering … Why do we allow so many things in life to steal our joy?  Why is it sometimes so hard to just give it all to God?  Why do we always want to carry it all by ourselves?

Rosie reminded me again this weekend, that my Vitamin J is not dependent on the “things” around me. BUT it lies in the Lord. Every time I go to Him and just “cry-it-out” before Him and tell Him how much it hurts; how unfair it is; how frustrating it is; how angry I am .. and and and … I can truly say I get up from there feeling at peace. I feel re-energised and as if the heaviness has just been lifted from me.

In what are you finding your Vitamin J today?  Is it your children, your family, your spirituality? Whatever it is, it is important !!!

During our every day lives, we focus so much on eating healthy, getting enough exercise, or sunshine to get that much needed Vitamin D. We focus on our food to give us all the vitamins and minerals we need to be healthy.

But we sometimes forget about the other important ones too… Such as Vitamin Joy … Vitamin Love … Vitamin Peace, etc. Are you getting enough Vitamin J? Are you making time to give Vitamin L to the ones you love?

So, during this week choose how you want to “top up” on your Vitamin J….  Don’t allow anything or anyone to steal your JOY this week !! Keep on smiling and en-JOY every moment of this very short life!