Joy

This evening I was reading in Marcelle Martin’s book Our Life is Love: The Quaker Spiritual Journey, about what the original Quakers called "Living in the cross", or living and acting within God’s will. I lead a life based on being of service and have given up many of the ego pleasures she described. I participate in minimal distractions and focus on carrying out God’s will, not mine. I cannot say that I suffer since I simply accept my lot in life as "what is" but I do experience pain. I also experience tremendous joy in my life which comes from living a life of Love and following guidance. In response to the question of how I’m doing, I generally say that my body is a mess and I have a wonderful life. I focus on the joy I feel.