Waves of Happiness

Suddenly in the middle of my day, I was hit by a wave of happiness.

This happened to me twice yesterday.

The first time was during my lunch. I was walking outside on the sunny fall day, disregarding the beauty and griping in my head about everything going wrong with work. Out of nowhere, God interrupted my whining session with his peace. One moment I was thinking about a frustratingly broken system, the next I was seeing that the big picture is good and God is at work. He reminded me that He is God- and I can sit back, relax, trust, and be happy.

The second time was during my workout. I go to Jazzercise classes a few times a week, and I really love it. Exercise is a crucial part of my routine, not only for physical health but also emotional well-being. While it is definitely a happy place for me, I also find that during my workout I do a lot of thinking about my day and the associated issues, especially since I started teaching.

Yesterday, somewhere around the middle of the workout I let go of those thoughts and just had fun. Towards the end of the workout, we did a Pilates-style standing leg routine. I tend to lose balance on these particular types, so I moved to go hold onto the wall for balance. I was facing the mirror and checking my form when I made eye contact myself and was just hit with a rush of emotion.
I was feeling the physical high of working out, but I could feel it was more than that. As the music pounded, I realized that I was just so happy. The second after my realization, my conscious seemed to say 'oh, but you have these things to worry about' and 'this isn't the time to be carefree'. Those worried thoughts were overcome by the joy of the moment. I felt an incredible sense of peace and happiness, it was a gift.

There's a few things that I am thinking about as I reflect on these moments:

1. I take life too seriously. I seriously do, and I seriously forget this about myself. I need to remember that I do not hold the weight of the world on my shoulders. And that if every little thing I have to do does not get done the way I want it to, that is ok. There is a bigger picture than my worries. Any moment that I can let go of those is healthy and powerful!

2. I'm reminded that the Lord likes to give us gifts, and most of the time it's not something we worked for. I have some pretty good tricks up my sleeves to overcome grouchiness, but on my lunch break I was not even trying. His presence popped up out of nowhere and wrapped me in a hug of care and cheerfulness. It's not all about what we do to be positive and optimistic, sometimes he steps in and just reminds us... "I've got you. You can relax."


3. It's ok and even good to let go and feel happy! Even if you still have a million things to do. Even if all is not right in your world. In my moment at the gym, I felt like it would be irresponsible to enjoy that feeling. How ridiculous is that?! Fully indulging in happy moments does not hurt, but heals abundantly. There is no need to resist joy.

Me at one of my happiest places- the beach. A place where I feel completely free.
This was taken on our first anniversary- we watched the sunset during dinner and
afterwards briefly ran out on the beach. It was cold and windy but full of joy.

So, when you feel a wave of happiness coming on, don't question it. It is a gift, designed especially for you specifically for that moment. Savor it. Find freedom in it. Enjoy it.

And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life--this is indeed a gift from God. -Ecclesiastes 5:19

Linking up with:

Faith and Friends
Monday's Musing
The (Not Just) Homemaking Link Up
Titus Tuesday
Titus 2sday
Women With Intention Wednesday
Coffee For your Heart
Spiritual Sundays