AHA! I have learned something!

I have been searching for sources of joy in this life. I have been marking my scriptures with a "happy" sticker, circling the word joy and notating the cause for joy in an effort to discover what I can look for or do to achieve joy in this life, not just to look forward to at the time of the Savior's second coming or my death, whichever comes first. I just don't want to spend this whole mortal existence gritting my teeth to "endure" to the end of it. I'm sure God didn't create us to come here and suffer endlessly until we're finished. As I have been pondering (which is what you have to do to find answers) this issue, I prayed this morning and received an answer. Now, if you have not been looking for an answer to the same question, this might not satisfy you. If you are already finding joy every day, good for you! I have not been just totally miserable but I have been struggling to discover a purpose in this life other than just "enduring". 2 Peter 2:19 mentions that "of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage". I have allowed myself to be "overcome" by the cares of this world- all of which are temporary! Jesus has said that "I will that ye should overcome the world, wherefore I will have compassion upon you" (D&C 64:2). He doesn't want us to be overcome by the sorrows and frustrations here. In the Book of Mormon, King Lamoni had a great experience- "the light of everlasting life was lit up in his soul, yea, he(Ammon, the missionary teaching him) knew that this had overcome his (king Lamoni's) natural frame". He experienced such joy that he was basically unconscious for a period of time. There are a number of scriptures that cite "overcoming", by faith, all things. D&C 63:20 promises that "he that endureth in faith and doeth my will, the same shall overcome and shall receive an inheritance upon the earth when the day of transfiguration shall come". Then in the book of Revelations (3:5) those who overcome are promised white clothing and the Lord's mediation before our Father in our behalf. So how does that relate to NOW? Well, overcoming can be a source of great joy in this life. When we struggle to lose a few pounds so we can look better and be healthier, we can have joy because we have overcome the natural man's tendency to overeat! When we get out of bed on a morning when we really wish we could just lay there cozy and warm with nothing to do, we can rejoice that we have overcome the natural man's tendency to be lazy! When we clean out the closet or drawer that needed sorting out, we can be glad that we have overcome the natural man's tendency to procrastinate. When we manage to turn the other cheek or love our enemy, we have succeeded in being more Christlike. Every time we accomplish something good, we are OVERCOMING and we can have joy in that success. We may not be champion athletes being awarded a gold medal, but we are children of God having one more win! So we can be each other's cheering squad and join together to urge each other on to success and celebrate when we accomplish whatever good thing we are striving for. Yay!