BROADCASTS.com

Published: Jan. 6, 2021, 9 a.m.

Begin the year with joy. Find some or create some. When you create joy for others you create joy for yourself. Today\u2019s episode shows how.

Hello everyone and welcome to episode 86 and the start of Season 5 of our podcast.

We said goodbye to 2020 in last week\u2019s episode with the thought that even in difficult circumstances there is always joy to be found if we look hard enough. I gave two examples of finding joy in difficult circumstances.

Starting today, let\u2019s begin the year with joy. To do so I share several examples of finding joy in more positive contexts, like now, at the beginning of a new year. Not much has gone wrong yet. At least at the time of this recording.

I hope the several stories I share will inspire you to either find joy, or create some yourself if you come up empty. I\u2019ll explain how, so listen in.

The first example that begins the year with joy

Christmas card from ECFA (Evangelical Child and Family Agency) \u201cECFA has chosen joy amidst this pandemic.\u201d I love the bold strength. It brings me joy to see this.

Humor is a place where we often find joy

• For me, joy is often found in humor. In episode 80, A Christmas Gift of Silence on December 2nd. I mentioned ending the podcast with Marcel Marceau singing \u201chis rendition of Silent Night.\u201d 23 seconds of no sound, because Marcel Marceau was a mime
• My friend Larry\u2019s response about Marcel Marceau and the context of Zechariah\u2019s 9 months of silence
• Another listener\u2019s comment about appreciating Marcel Marceau
• The Who Gets You? episode, no 81, \u201cA Christmas Gift of Connection\u201d elected a comment from Brad, a listener from Florida. Brad\u2019s a friend of mine and he said his dog, Lucy, \u201cGet\u2019s him\u201d and then he rated his wife Kathy as A-1.
• Humor is a tricky thing. We sorely need it for healthy relationships. It\u2019s what got me through adolescence. But we don\u2019t want to make it the focal point of our relationships. We'll save that topic for another day.

Something we say that encourages another will begin the year with joy

• A listener\u2019s email about being more of an observer and less of a commentator.

"Be more of an observer and listener and less than a commentator. It can be a Christmas present of silence you give to others."

\u201cTwo days ago I was in a phone conversation with a family member.\xa0 She commented on a photo that I had pointed out to her in a book I had given her to read.\xa0 When I mentioned that an item (a table) in the photo was actually positioned differently there than how we actually sat at that table when we were young, she disagreed and said it had been the same way that this book was showing it.\xa0 WHAT??\xa0 I started to come back with a strong rebuttal when all of a sudden it was as if the Holy Spirit said, "Stop."

\u201cI learned that this was not an instance where I needed to be right, that she may or may not hear the truth from another family member (Eleven of us sat around that table back then), but that I could walk away.\xa0 I am so glad I did.\xa0 The Holy Spirit immediately began ministering to me about how there are other heavier things in life that truly may need to be said but that this was not one of them.\xa0 That day became an enveloping of the Holy Spirit that I could have missed out on.\u201d

Comment from a former student

I ran into him about 12 years ago, and then had a phone conversation with him about a mutual acquaintance just the other day. And I learned where life has taken him in the 40+ years since we were in the same classroom together every day. What struck me was his comment, \u201cyou were so kind to me back then.\u201d

Thank you note from a listener

\u201cJoy\u201d at the top of the small card, the size of an index card, \u201cJohn, just a note to let you know how much I enjoy your podcasts! They bring me much joy. ~ Patty

This really touched me. It\u2019s a great privilege to bring joy into someone\u2019s life. I know some of you do this all the time. And I also know some others of you do just the opposite. You drain joy from people.

The good news for you is that you don\u2019t have to be that way. You too can also begin the year with joy. You\u2019re just as capable as the rest of us to spread joy. Give it a try. For as you spread joy to others, you\u2019ll create joy for yourself. It\u2019s one of the great mysteries of life.

If you forget everything else, here\u2019s the one thing I hope you remember from today\u2019s episode.

Begin new things, like the start of a new year in 2021 from a position of joy. Look for it, or create your own, and then spread it to others.

Here are a few ideas for how we can respond to today's program

Ask, what new thing in my life can I start today from a position of joy? Either look hard to discover the joy that\u2019s already there, or create some of your own. When you create joy for others. You\u2019ll be amazed how joy will come back to you.

Do what the ladies at the ECFA did and be bold, take a stand, plant a stake in the ground for joy, regardless of what has happened before.

Use humor to spread a little joy. Surprise people by being out of character. Look for puns, be playful with language. Point out incongruencies with a smile. Poke fun at yourself. It\u2019s a great way to begin the year with joy.

Be kind to someone, someone who doesn\u2019t expect it or can ever pay you back. Who knows, maybe you\u2019ll run into that person 45 years later and they\u2019ll thank you for your kindness because it meant something to them so long ago, and they still remember.

Lastly, let me and others know how this goes for you. I\u2019d really like to hear from you about what you\u2019re doing to begin the year with joy.

You can comment in the \u201cLeave a Reply\u201d box at the bottom of the show notes. Or email your thoughts to me in an email, john@caringforothers.org.

Closing

I hope your thinking was stimulated by today\u2019s show, to both reflect and to act. So that you will find the joy God intends for you through your relationships. Because after all, You Were Made for This.

That\u2019s all for today. See you next week. Goodbye for now.

You Were Made for This is sponsored by Caring for Others, a missionary care ministry. We depend upon the generosity of donors to pay our bills.\xa0 If you'd like to support what we do with a secure tax-deductible donation, please click here. We'd be so grateful if you did.