Joy

Today I was so blessed to have the opportunity to catch up with my friend, Joy, who has been studying abroad all semester but has finally returned home. While I was missing her from Texas, she was off to Spain and Paris, where her boyfriend proposed on the Eiffel Tower! Chills overtook my body and tears filled my eyes as she spoke of the bumps in a relationship that has ultimately turned into a union for marriage. I am so encouraged to see how she has stood so firmly in her Faith throughout many trials and now gets to cheerfully see her faithful patience pay off.

She kept saying how beautifully perfect the entire trip went. I could picture it. I think we spend a lot of our time picturing these perfect moments occurring at different chapters in our lives, ceremonial moments worthy of celebration. But then there are other times, times when we catch ourselves feeling discouraged because we miss past moments of joy or we see them presently happening all around us to everyone else. That's the thing, we won't all have the same story to tell or meet significant others in a particularly planned way. Sometimes we have to face hard stuff to get to the sweet stuff. Sometimes it's the rough times that make the great times memorable, happy, beautiful.

Our chat was a sweet reminder that even when life seems to be handing you sour flavors or bumpy routes, there's a divine plan that works out in perfect timing, better than we plan for ourselves.

So, as I celebrate all that my sweet friend has to look forward to, I also celebrate the fact that my life has been filled with more beautiful moments than I'll ever deserve and that more are on the way.

Oh, and the fact that her name will soon be an alliteration, Joy Jones, that's worth a smile too! :)

Joy!
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