Surprised by Joy

http://www.amazon.com/Surprised-Joy-Shape-Early-Life/dp/0156870118
(C.S. Lewis book)

It's been forever since I posted and it's time to get back to the blog!

Have you been where I've been lately? You know the church is true, you attend church every week, you still pray daily and spend time in the scripture most every day, but you're not really seeking, just going through the motions and you feel kinda empty inside.

I'm just coming out on the other side of one of those. It lasted too long, I'm ashamed to say.

The biggest emotion on this side? Surprise at the joy I've been missing out on. Why didn't I do what it takes to feel this sooner?

I have known and believed all my life that "men are that they might have joy" (2 Ne 2:25), that God gives us joy as we obey . I've felt it, experienced it, as I've tried to keep the commandments, sought to come to know my Savior and become more like him. And yet, I'm still continually surprised by the  depth of joy that comes through simple obedience.

I want to be lazy, to do things just for me (and things for me aren't wrong in moderation). But when I get up and serve (my family, sisters that I visit teach, anyone who crosses my path), there is this joy that fills my soul in ways nothing else does and it surprises me... every...time!

The past few weeks I've made decisions to consciously serve, daily. You think you don't have time, but I've had just as much free time as ever and the difference in how I've felt is just monumental.

It's a beautiful thing!

(Sarah, can you tell you inspired this post?)