Fighting Joy Burglars

I am a lover of life and the older I get the more I fight like hell to combate *joy burglars and savor the simple. I don't understand why we make people feel stupid or ugly or not good enough. We've got to stop making others feel insufficient. I'm beginning to think that one of satan's greatest battles he's currently winning is paralyzing people with self defeat. He uses guilt to woo people into stagnancy. We can't impact others or love them if we're too self focused to let God love through us. It's sneaky too, because you feel like you're being spiritual. You feel like you're working on yourself so that you can affect people some day. I've got a brutal truth - you're never going to be perfect. It's not possible. God doesn't sit *upstairs thinking about all of our insufficiencies. Having a son has made me realize that so much more clearly. I don't sit around and dwell on the things Beck does that disappoint me. I can't stop bragging about him. The good things. Those are the things I remember. His joys bring me the greatest joy. God is like that. I know it to be true because I can feel it. He finds joy in our joy and the more we love the people around us - the more we equip Him to move in their lives. Love is the greatest thing that can permeate between our souls. It has breath and movement and no one can contain its goodness. I've been doing something lately that is bringing me so much joy. I have been complimenting strangers. The cute old man at Hy-Vee with his fur hat, the proud momma, the teenager with purple hair and a nose ring. It's the simplest thing. Touching someone's arm gently and saying, "I really like your hat" or "Your hair is really cool" or "That's a beautiful baby with her sweet, chubby cheeks". It takes seconds and I mean for it to be about others, but it's really addicting to see someone's eyes light up over someone noticing something good about them.

There's a song by Angus and Julia Stone and the lyrics are profound and simple:

If we never found this love
If we never took that road
If we hadn't had the heart
We wouldn't have this home

Love, love will take you
Love, love will take you there
Love, love will take you
Love, love will take you there

In this world the heart beats slow
In my arms let's share the cold
In my eyes you're all I've known
Darlin' let's go home

Love, love will take you
Love, love will take you there
Love, love will take you
Love, love will take you there

Love, love will take you
Love, love will take you there
Love, love will take you
Love, love will take you there

Let love take you away from dragging other people down. Let it bring them a little joy and in turn, I bet you'll feel yourself changing. And you won't hate it. Cheers to 2013 and loving people so intensely that you see the good in them before you criticize the bad.

*Joy burglars are those who try place guilt, comparison, unrealistic expectations, worldly ideals, doubt and selfishness into life.
*heaven