Inspired to be...Positive: Meg of Rivers and Roads

We're back with a new topic for Inspired! This month, we're focusing on Positivity. We'll be hearing from four women who have people in their lives that inspire them to live with joyful attitudes. It should be a blessing for all of us. :)

I'm so excited to introduce you to today's guest: Meg of Rivers and Roads. I began reading Meg's blog back in the spring. She has a very relaxed style that draws you in and makes you want to stay a while, reading about her and her life in Chattanooga (one of my favorite places). Just recently, she has become 1/3 of a new project called Tristyle & Co. Check it and her blog out, and enjoy reading about the special gal who inspires her to be positive... 

When Anna asked who taught me the importance of staying positive, several people came to mind who have influenced me in different seasons of my life. However, the one I kept coming back to is my best friend, Beth. To me, "staying positive" translates into "choosing joy." Beth is one of the most joy-filled individuals I know, and that joy is contagious. 

Beth has a way of listening to and taking in everything you are feeling and then helping you turn those feelings into something positive. She always finds the silver lining, or that one glimmer of hope to hold on to, and she always always always points me back to Jesus.

I'll be the first to admit that joy and positivity does not come easily or even naturally for everyone. We live in a messy and broken world full of pain and confusion and misunderstanding. So how do you stay positive in the midst of all the gloom? 

Several months ago, I felt as if the whole world was weighing on my shoulders, and everything that could go wrong was going wrong, and I was at my breaking point. I was struggling to find even an ounce of happiness in that moment. In talking to my best friend about that week I told her, "I love Jesus so much. Life is just so hard sometimes." Beth is always there to encourage me or just to cry with me when I need it.

So what do you do when the world wears you down? Do you sit there and take the beating? No way, sister. You stand firm and thank the Lord your God for the gifts he has given. The gift to wake up each morning, the gift to glimpse another sunrise, the gift of laughter, the gift of life itself. Every single gift. You name it.

You choose joy. 

"Seriousness is not a fruit of the spirit, but joy is."

I'm not saying you have to be happy all the time. Happiness is not the same thing as joy. Joy is a spiritual discipline, and you must choose it over and over. This world will do all that it can to wear you down. Fight, brave hearts, with all your might, for joy. No matter what you are facing, there is a Gospel and a King worth celebrating. And guess what? That King celebrates over you as well. You are his, and he cares more deeply for you than you will ever know. 

Personally, the key to a positive and joy-filled life is learning the art of celebrating this life we have been so graciously given. The key is giving thanks for each and every gift. The key is knowing you cannot do this on your own. The key is leaning on Jesus to be the song of our hearts and the hope of our souls.  

Thanks so much for being here, Meg! You've graced us with beautiful, positive things to think about.

Have an awesome day, everyone! I'm still recovering from a late night of watching election results. Anyone else? :)

-Song