Is there anything more confounding than Joy? It is the undeniable mark of the Living God. Christ says that we will be known as His by the love we have for one another, but there is something to this Joy. It is the afterglow of the glory of God, a direct result of time spent in His presence.
I've cried some these past couple of weeks--over uncertainty regarding my grandmother, over the overwhelming thought of this coming semester--but even when my cheeks were wet with tears, I could not help but smile. Smiling through the tears is not putting on a brave face, pulling myself up and "getting through" the rough bits. For me, it is the response of surrendering, putting absolute faith and trust in God's will. I cannot, in light of God's grace and mercy, abandon myself to sorrow, hopelessness, or self-pity. His joy allows room for nothing else.