Lessons from My Daughter: Finding Joy In Everyday Life

Last updated on: July 27, 2018 at 1:53 pm by Dr. Laurel Shaler

Lessons from My Daughter: Finding Joy In Everyday Life 2018-07-27T13:53:44-04:00 Dr. Laurel Shaler

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I have learned a lot about finding joy in everyday life from my young daughter.

Yesterday, she was thrilled to discover some doors on the end table. After she figured out how to open them, she would crawl in and giggle after shouting “hello” out to me.

The day before, she was ecstatic when she got not one but twoof her favorite foods for snack (or “na-na” as she calls it).

Last week, she turned her sweet face to the sky and let the water mister at the park soak her, fully clothed. For her, it was pure joy.

This is my daughter on a daily basis. She loves life. She gets excited when she sees birds and bunnies in the backyard. She laughs at peek-a-boo, every. single. time. In fact, laughter is in no short supply. Her face lights up when she sees mama or dada, even when we’ve just been away for a moment. Music is her jam, and she dances like no one is watching (although everyone is). The girl is a people person, and is more than happy to give away kisses and hugs.

My prayer is one day she will see that this joy comes from the Lord. I pray, too, that I will look at life this way. Enjoying what others see as the mundane, and seeing the beauty in every-day life. Our creator has made such a marvelous world for us, and we should enjoy it all. We don’t have to focus solely on the big things in life (and certainly don’t have to always focus on the negative). In fact, we can often find more joy in the little things life has to offer. My daughter sure does. Her joy cheers everyone around her up. And Proverbs 17:22 says that a cheerful heart is good medicine. Jesus gives us joy. Allow Him to fill your heart up today, and pass on that joy to others. That’s what my daughter is teaching me daily, and I thank God I have the opportunity to be her student.

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