Letter from Jason – July 2020

Dear Honey Run Friends,

The question that has been circling in my mind today is, what has brought me joy today? Life is funny how there are different situations along our journey that bring us joy. For instance, today I was driving across Holmes County to do some errands and I witnessed a young horse chasing a chicken in circles in a pasture. While this may not have been enjoyable for the chicken, watching the young horse in its childlike pursuit of the chicken around and around made me chuckle and stop for a moment reflecting on how this simple scene brought a smile to my face.

I think about my friends with children and how they light up when they share a daily victory that their child achieved. Just a few years ago this would not have even phased them, but now it touches their innermost soul. Then there is the couple celebrating 50 years of marriage and you can see their love in the way that the husband helps steady his bride’s balance as she struggles to walk. Pure joy.

Joy is different than happiness. Joy is a calming sense of peace that permeates through my soul. It is not situational, but rather, situations allow my eyes to be opened to joy and cause me to calm my spirit and have this joy percolate up through me. Joy is always in me when I am centered on my Creator and when I have my life in proper perspective. A great example of this is often heard from people facing the end of their life. They share how they finally have the proper perspective and joy that cannot be explained as they face their mortality.

I was asked recently by a friend, “Do you regret buying the Inn ever? “The question caught me off guard and I gave the answer, no. I shared how yes there have been challenges but the good has outweighed the bad. As I reflected more on this question over the passing days, I realized that there is so much more to this answer. My answer is still no, I do not regret buying the Inn. But my true answer is no because the Inn has opened me up to great joy. I have been made a better person for this experience. I have met countless great people through our staff and guests. I have grown as a person learning more about myself and my journey through this life. I have been afforded the ability to commune with nature all around me on our property and the surrounding area. This life was not one I ever imagined for myself in my younger days, but as I mature, I am learning this path is the perfect path for me. Learning to slow down and appreciate rural life has allowed me to quiet the noise of this world and listen for God’s voice. It has allowed me to be in a regular state of joy and appreciate each moment that I am afforded on this side of eternity.

Your joyful innkeeper,

Jason