Which Comes First? Love or Joy

Do I love because of the joy it brings me or do I love because of the joy it brings others?

After my husband and I retired, we decided we would give service. That journey has taken us many places—standing by a death bed, giving words of comfort to the family, listening as a friend shares joy and sorrow, helping a young child learn to read, caring for a family member ill with cancer, and many other cherished experiences.

The last few months we have worked with the poor. The experience has brought us great joy because of the love we feel for these people. Here are a few of the thousands of joyful experiences we have had.

We took a young eleven-year-old boy shopping for a pair of shoes. He had been wearing his teenage girl cousin's work shoes.

We bought a six-year-old a happy meal. He was so thankful. All he'd had to eat that day was a hot dog wrapped in a piece of white bread.  

A young child laid her head on my husband's shoulder and let him comfort her with a rocking motion. "Daddy? Daddy?" she asked. She had never seen her father.

"Thank you for helping me find a job," said a father who hadn't worked for many weeks.

After a scripture and prayer, a young grandmother threw her arms around us. "You've blessed our home."

There is a joy that comes from loving others that can fill one's soul to overflowing. Give away your love today. Make the world a little better for someone along your path.

Listen to a friend.

Hug a neighbor.

Touch a child's shoulder.

Smile at the grocery checker.

Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls. Mother Teresa

Do I love because of the joy it brings me or do I love because of the joy it brings others?

No matter the answer. The end result is the same. Love enriches the lives of those around us, including our own.