a joyful God
I found a quote while ago from a former prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Heber C. Kimball. It read as follows:
I am perfectly satisfied that my Father and my God is a cheerful, pleasant, lively, good-natured Being. Why? Because I am cheerful, pleasant, lively, and good-natured when I have His Spirit.
I posted this quote on my Instagram story, and I was pleasantly surprised with the number of people that responded to it in awe. We need to hear this!!! I rarely hear people talk about our Father in Heaven in this way, but it rings true to me. This true, authentic portrayal of God is what people need -- pure, radiating joy is the very character of our Father! How refreshing it is to know that all good things come from Christ. I love this quote because it serves as a reminder to me that not only do different people feel His spirit in different ways, but I feel His spirit in different ways! Below are times I have felt Him in a moment of joy:
He is with me on a simple picnic in a field of yellow flowers.
He is with me laughing alongside my siblings and me as we recount childhood memories.
He is with me when I dance, when I sing, when I laugh, when I write.
He is with me when I get a surprisingly good score on a test.
He is with me as I smile to myself after lending a hand to someone in need.
He is with me when I am optimistic and fearless.
What I am trying to say is, the Holy Spirit - the sacred, holy Being - exists abundantly in the realms of joy. I think that regardless if we are religious or not, it is an eternal law of God to allow us to feel a taste of joy when we do good. Just as our feelings influence our actions, our actions influence our feelings. When we reach out to someone in need in any capacity, we are allowing God to help us feel joy. Be aware in your life when you experience pure love and pure joy. He is there with you. I am optimistic about the future. I believe He is, too.