When I was a kid, I can remember being in church on Sunday morning and Wednesday night and seeing some of the older folks (EVERYBODY is OLD when you are a little kid) that seemed so miserable. They were always scowling and always seemed angry. You would think they’d been baptized in vinegar. Or, as my 
Daddy would say, they looked like they had been sucking green persimmons. (And if you don’t know what that means, find a persimmon tree and try it. It will immediately become clear.) They always seemed aggravated about SOMETHING. They never seemed to be in a good mood or have anything particularly good to say.
I also remember, especially before I was school age, my mother being involved with a group at our church called the Coffee Club. This group was based on scriptures like Titus 2:3-5 where it says the older women of the church should teach the younger women and instruct them on things like marriage, children, home, etc. So, when the Coffee Club met, it was a time for the younger women (mostly with young families) to fellowship with the older women (many of them widows) and just enjoy each other and learn. Sometimes they would go on day trips to fun places, parks or restaurants, or to see plays and such. And sometimes they would just meet and have snacks and talk. Because I was too young for school at the time, I was occasionally allowed to attend these “meetings” and hang out. I LOVED it. Some of those older ladies lived alone, with little or no family close by, and not much going on in their lives. Many had lived hard lives and had been through more than their fair share of heartbreak, sorrow, and pain. But they 
always seemed to me to be the ones that were the most fun. They smiled and goodheartedly picked at each other. I can remember times when they would throw their heads back and laugh together with what seemed like their entire soul. They genuinely liked the people around them and were interested in them and their lives. In my child mind, they were WAY more fun than some the ones I ran into in “Big Church” on Sunday morning. They had joy. REAL joy. And it showed. I think it would be safe to say that (Nehemiah 10:8) the joy of the Lord was their strength.
All the older ladies are gone now, and I imagine they never knew the full impact they had (and, to be fair, are still having) on the lives around them. The laughter and joy, the wisdom, understanding, and kindness that those ladies shared is still making ripples in the lives of others even decades later. I am sure the effects of their prayers are still being felt as well. Now I am in my forties and many of the “young women” that were in that group have grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They are in their 70, 80s, and even 90s, and some have gone on to be with the Lord. We still talk fondly of that group and its members.
I guess one of the lessons I inadvertently learned from the Coffee Club ladies, aside from the wonderful example they set, is that joy is a CHOICE. The Lord created tears because He knew we would have heartbreak and sorrow in our lives, but he also created laughter, hugs, and smiles. As humans, we were built, divinely designed, for RELATIONSHIP, both with Him and with other people. He intended for us to ENJOY each 
other. Joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) so not only is it a choice, but it is a RESULT of a right relationship with God. We tend to think of joy and happiness as synonyms, two words that mean the same thing. But happiness is more of a temporary emotion that results from situations around you. It’s fickle, and nit-picky, and based on circumstances. Real joy is something you have even when nothing around you is going right. You can have joy in the midst of sorrow and pain, because it has less to do with what is going on around you, and more to do with who lives inside you (2 Corinthians 8:1-2).
Often, I believe we waste so much of our lives chasing happiness when we ought to be focusing on our relationship with the Father. (I am SO guilty of this.) He gives us joy. Our relationship with Him gives joy. The Word says, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33 NIV. I hope many years from now when I have gone on to be with the Lord, that the people around me will look back and not necessarily remember me as happy, but as joyful. What a sweet, wonderful legacy that would be.
Nehemiah 8:10 NIV Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
2 Corinthians 8:1-2 NIV And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.
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