“There are those who give with joy, and that joy is their reward.” —Khalil Gibran
#5. Find Your Joy
Perhaps you’re recovering from the virus or have family affected by it. Maybe you’ve lost a loved one. This is a time to mourn and to have sympathy for our brothers and sisters around the world who are suffering. As we grieve and reach out to support those that remain, we begin to find empathy, the ability to understand and share the pain of others. And as we learn empathy, we find our purpose in this life—to love others, to take our eyes off ourselves, and seek the best for the brothers and sisters in our lives, our community, and our world. And when you find your purpose, you find joy—not just happiness, but deep, abiding, long-lasting joy. You will find a peace and contentment with yourself, your life, and the world that defies your understanding. Sometimes it takes a crisis to bring us to our purpose.
One of the most beautiful lines in all of literature is Jesus’ encouragement to his disciples where he says that he will turn our sorrow into joy,[i] “Now is your time of grief,” he said, “but I will see you again and you will celebrate, and no one will take away your joy.”[ii] We are in the midst of fearful and deadly time, but in the weeks and months ahead, because of these trying times, we can have our sorrow turn to joy. You can find your meaning, purpose, and joy in the midst of all this.
I want you to start today. Find someone to help. Use your new-found time to do good. Reach out to someone in need. True believing, pure and perfect, is to care for orphans and widows in their distress, according to St. James. Rather than binge-watching streaming movies, click off the TV, and start to show kindness now. You may not be able to leave your home, but you can help people find hope right from your phone or laptop. You can go to the organization that I lead, EvangAlliance.com, or others that I support like WorldChalleng.org, Inspiracom.org, or CarePortal.org, as examples. Or go to your favorite church or non-profit’s website and look for ways to help.
The folks at WorldChallenge.org work with the poorest people around the world, helping them learn to help themselves. They are the world leader in the ministry of “Teach a man to fish” with their Poverty Solutions program.
Inspiracom.com is the largest Spanish Christian radio network in the world, broadcasting hope in the epicenter of the immigration conflict on the US-Mexico border. They are serving those in need from seventeen radio stations stretching along the border from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean.
CarePortal.org is one of the most innovative charities I know, operating a cloud-based portal that connects local people that want to provide help to children and orphans in their community that have an immediate need.
This is your time to rise and shine. Take this time, set apart from the old day-to-day activities, from the ordinariness of your new routine, or from the mad rush of uncertainty during this crisis, and make it count for something. Draw near to your family. Do something meaningful. Help others. If you redeem this time, you will look back at the year of the pandemic as a catharsis, as a turning point, as a launching pad for the adventure of this new chapter—your post-pandemic future.
Look for the complete white paper, Five Ways to Thrive, coming soon. Also, download my eBook showing you great tips and techniques on ways to work from home
Use the form at the bottom of the page to download my free eBook, 37 WAYS TO WORK FROM HOME TODAY: Business Ideas You Can Start Today with Little to No Money, Education, or Special Training. I'm providing it to you at no charge during these difficult times. If you know someone who is hurting financially during this economic contraction, send them to this blog for encouragement and concrete ideas to thrive in tough times.
Be safe, stay healthy, and thrive.
[i] John’s Gospel, chapter 16, verse 20, The Holy Bible https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+16&version=NIV [ii] John’s Gospel, chapter 16, verse 22, The Holy Bible https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+16&version=NIV Robots Automation, and Industrial Space, Bill Wheaton, MIT Center for Real Estate
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