Rather like a tiny mustard seed of faith, joy is also a seed we nurture within, water with God’s word and encourage to flourish and grow.
Joy takes root in all of God’s children, swells best in thankful hearts and expands exponentially the more we share it, thus sowing seeds in the lives of others.
Though we need to hold on to joy, especially during tough times, we’re not meant to carefully horde our joy, but spend it freely, give lavishly and liberally just as God gives to us.
We bear the mark of Christ in our hearts, because His footprints are found within every believer. We also bear His seeds of love, hope, joy, mercy and compassion. Each day provides fresh opportunity to release those seeds into society.
What can stop us is our perceived unworthiness, or living with a scarcity mentally where we fear losing the good things God has already given us.
The good news is that there is plenty to go around, an abundance, in fact. God is no man or woman’s debtor. He is a faithful, loving, giving, generous God and our lives are meant to mirror His character.
And here’s the thing – joy given away is joy multiplied. We actually experience an increase each time we give our joy away to others. How good is that?!
Joy seeds
Let me scatter joy seeds
fling them wide from my fingers
spread arms in a cruciform shape
reach out to the edge of existence
heedless of the direction they take
May I be profligate
with them, not counting
the cost of giving, but
losing myself in mercy
because joy is never lost
Maybe something will take root
rise up strong in future days
and new life produce shoots
as it pushes through dark
soil, rising with sun’s rays
Maybe all it takes is hope
wrapped up in a prayer
as I liberally sprinkle
seeds of joy everywhere
©JoyLenton2016
Welcome to #day27 of #write31days of journeying into joy – I can barely believe we are nearly through this series! Thank you SO much for joining me.
I hope and pray you are taking something positive and encouraging out of these posts and I’d love to know how they are speaking to you. Thank you .
Poetry Joy 
I love this…..”joy given away is joy multiplied”. Thanks so much for giving my day a great start.
You’re welcome, Donna, I am delighted to have given your day a great start! Keep sowing those joy seeds. 🙂 x
Dear Joy, This is so beautiful:
“Maybe all it takes is hope
wrapped up in a prayer
as I liberally sprinkle
seeds of joy everywhere”
and it stirs my heart with a similar thought that He brought to me today. God reminded me early this morning where He had me 5 years ago today, and He asked me to share about it in my own post, but I was reluctant. So once again, our paths have intersected on this journey. Thank you for sharing from God’s heart, and confirming to me to be open with what He has asked me to share as well. You are a true blessing! xoxo
Dear Bettie, it has been an enormous privilege to connect and intersect with you on this writing journey. Your words never fail to move me. I get to read them at the tail end of my day and it sends me happily off to sleep – in a good, God-relaxing way! You share so beautifully yourself from God’s heart, and I am honoured to walk this path with you. I popped over to read your post before replying here. It’s SO soul-beautiful! YOU, my kind, compassionate friend, are a tremendous blessing to me and to all who receive your thoughts and prayers. May you begin to see the fruit of your faithful labours and rest well in the month ahead. xoxo
Beautiful home! So much truth in THIS: “And here’s the thing – joy given away is joy multiplied.”
Thanks, Tara, you bring me joy whenever you stop by! Bless you, sweet friend. xo
I’m just so thankful for the revelation that comes as such a blessing to me through your writing! I am feeling quite tired towards the end of this writing journey, and your words carry the deep refreshing consoling presence of God. Thank you so much dear Joy.
Jenneth, I sympathise with and share your fatigue, even as I marvel at the wonderful way in which God has energised and equipped us to walk this path. But I marvel even more that these words have ministered to and refreshed your soul! God speaks to us as we write and He also whispers a word for each reader, a holy suggestion of a special message just for them, a heavenly takeaway if you will. I’m so blessed and encouraged by your sweet words! Thank you, dear friend. xo
“Joy takes root in all of God’s children, swells best in thankful hearts and expands exponentially the more we share it . . .” I love this sentence and am pausing over the second phrase, doing a personal heart-scan for gratitude today, for that is the soil within needing cultivation—which is one way I can partner with the Gardener. I can choose to be grateful, and I do. Right here. Right now. And you, my dear, are a part of that. Thank you.
Laurie, our hearts so often fail to be thankful, so a “personal heart-scan for gratitude” (love that expression!) is a necessity. For it is the rich “soil within needing cultivation” before we can grow our gratitude. In the deliberate noticing and counting of blessings our cold, thankless hearts begin to warm more toward the Gardener and deepen in appreciation of His bountiful grace gifts. It’s a conscious choice we have to make, and one which shakes lethargy and lassitude from our souls, as it provides an opening for energising joy. May you be abundantly blessed in the looking, choosing and appreciating, dear friend. I love your skywards view on life and faith. xo
Reblogged this on Michael Moore's Blog and commented:
Thank you, dear Sister Joy ❤️❤️ Needed this today!
Brother Michael, if I in my weakness and weariness can be given a word to bless you or your readers then I am deeply thankful. Thinking of and praying for you at this time of extra stress and busyness. I so appreciate you being here, my friend! 🙂 x