A few days ago I posted a photo on Facebook of a small jar full of paper that Leah and I used to write down moments of joy we experienced in 2019. Because we enjoyed this project so much we decided to continue our tradition in 2020, and have now begun to focus on blessings and joys of the new year. Each day we try to write down one or two items on strips of paper and place them in the jar. At the end of 2020 Leah and I will sit down together and read through a year’s worth of blessings. This tradition has become a favorite for us, and last week it was amazing to see all the things we had listed that brought us joy.
For me it can be easy to get bogged down with negativity in the world. Between politics, newsfeeds, and social media I can start to lose focus on the blessings that surround us each day. The “Joy Jar” has helped counteract the negativity that happens and I have realized that once I start to look for blessings it is easy for them to build up and overtake any negativity that has happened that day.
So far some of my joys in 2020 have included going to eat Chick-Fil-A with our foster baby, enjoying a dinner with close friends, and watching our foster baby eat biscuits and gravy for the first time– she loved it! These moments would likely have been forgotten over time had I not written them down, but choosing to write down these happy times and focus on them brings even more joy.
We are so blessed to be called children of God. We are blessed to live in America. We are blessed with our material goods, our jobs, our health, and our church family. As we continue moving into the new year I encourage each family to focus on their blessings. Maybe your family can create a joy jar or create your own way of acknowledging the blessings in your life. Focus on your blessings. Focus on the positives. Focus on joy.
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.”
James 1:17